tihvavy  of  Che  Cheolocjical  ^cminarj? 

PRINCETON  •  NEW  JERSEY 


Gift  of 

Professor  A.  A.  Hodge 

1880 


tjS 


103 

38' 


GRATITUDE 


AN  EXPOSITION 


OP 


CI]^  |)uiih"^if  lux'ii  C|ir4(  f  salm 


Eev.  JOHN    STEVENSON, 

AUTHOR  OF  "the  LORD  OUR  SHEPHERD,"  "  CHRIST  ON  THE  CROSS,"  ETC. 


NEW    YOKK: 
ROBERT    CARTER    &    BROTHERS, 

No.    285    BROADWAY. 
1854. 


STBREOTYPED    BY  PRINTED    BT 

THOMAS  B.  SMITH,  JOHN  A.   GRAY, 

216  Wmiam  Street.  97  Cliff  St. 


C  0  It  t  ni  t  ^ . 


PAGE 

PsALii  cm.          .         , V 

Analysis  op  the  Psalm   .        , vi 

I. — Call  to  Personal  GtRatitude 11 

n.— The  Pardon  of  Sin 33 

III. — The  Healing  of  Disease 46 

IV. — Tie  Life  Eedeemed  from  Destruction     ...  65 

v. — The  Crown  of  Loying-kindness   and   Tender  Mer- 
cies       82 

VI. — The  Mouth  satisfied  with  good,  and  the  Strength 

Kenewed 92 

VII. — The  Lord  Executing  Judgment  for  the  Oppressed    109 

VIII. — The  Lord  making  known  His  ways  to  Men     .        .121 

IX. — Manifold  Benefits  flowing  out  op  the  Character 

OF  God  through  Christ '134 

X. — ^Tjoieasurable  Benefits — Mercy  ....    149 

XI. — Immeasurable  Benefits — Forgiyeness        .        .        .161 

XII. — Immeasurable  Benefits — Pity 176 

XIII. — Everlasting  Benefits — Mercy 197 

XIV. — Everlasting  Benefits— Righteousness       .        .       .218 


IV  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

XY. — The  Everlastinq  and  Prepared  Throne        .  .    238 

XVI. — The  Everlasting  and  Universal  Kingdom    .  .    249 

XYII.— Call  to  Universal  Gratitude— Upon  Angels  .    260 

XYIII. —        "        — Upon  all  the  Hosts  op  the  Lord  .    276 

XIX.—        "       — Upon  all  the  Works  op  the  Lord  .    289 

XX. —       "       — Upon  the  Psalmist's  own  Soul    .  .306 


fsalm  ctit. 


I  Bless  the  Lord,  0  mj  soul :  and  all  that  is  within  me,  Uess  his 
holy  name. 

2.  Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul,  and  forget  not  aU  his  benefits : 

3  Who  forgiveth  all  thine  iniquities ;  who  healeth  all  thy  diseases  • 

4  Who  redeemeth  thy  life  from  destruction;  who  crowneth  thee 
with  loving-kindness  and  tender  mercies ; 

5  Who  satisfieth  thy  mouth  with  good  things;  so  that  thy  youth  is 
renewed  like  the  eagle's. 

6  The  Lord  executeth  righteousness  and  judgment  for  all  that  are 
oppressed. 

Y  He  made  known  his  ways  unto  Moses,  his  acts  unto  the  children 
of  Israel. 

8  The  Lord  is  merciful  and  gracious,  slow  to  anger,  and  plenteous  in 
mercy. 

9  He  will  not  always  chide :  neither  will  he  keep  his  anger  for  ever. 

10  He  hath  not  dealt  with  us  after  our  sins ;  nor  rewarded  us  ac- 
cording to  our  iniquities. 

II  For  as  the  heaven  is  high  above  the  earth,  so  great  is  his  mercy 
toward  them  that  fear  him, 

12  As  far  as  the  east  is  from  the  west,  so  far  hath  he  removed  our 
transgressions  from  us. 


VI  PSALM  cm. 

13  Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  so  the  Lord  pitieth  them 
that  fear  him. 

14  For  he  knoweth  our  frame ;  he  remembereth  we  are  dust. 

15  As  for  man,  his  days  are  as  grass :  as  a  flower  of  the  field,  so  he 
flourisheth. 

16  Tor  the  wind  passeth  over  it,  and  it  is  gone ;  and  the  place  thereof 
shall  know  it  no  more. 

17  But  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  is  from  everlastmg  to  everlasting 
upon  them  that  fear  him,  and  his  righteousness  unto  children's 
children ; 

18  To  such  as  keep  his  covenant,  and  to  those  that  remember  his 
commandments  to  do  them. 

19  The  Lord  hath  prepared  his  throne  in  the  heavens ;  and  his 
kingdom  ruleth  over  all. 

20  Bless  the  Lord,  ye  his  angels,  that  excel  in  strength,  that  do  his 
commandments,  hearkening  unto  the  voice  of  his  word. 

21  Bless  ye  the  Lord,  all  ye  his  hosts  ;  ye  ministers  of  his,  that  do 
his  pleasure. 

22  Bless  the  Lord,  all  his  works  in  all  places  of  his  dommion: 
Bless  the  Lord,  0  my  soul. 


ANALYSIS 


HUNDEED  AND  THIKD  PSALM. 


PART  L 

INTRODUCTORY  ADDRESS. 

CALL    TO    PERSONAL    GRATITUDE,    v.    1,    2. 

PART  IT. 

CAUSES  OF  GRATITUDE  ENUMERATED. 

L 

SPECLiL  BENEFITS 

ENJOYED  BY  THE  BELIEVER. 

First— The  Pardon  of  Sin,  v.  3. 

Seco7id.—TE.B  Healing  of  Disease,  v.  3. 

Third. — The  Life  REDEEiiED  from  Destruction,  v.  4. 

Fourth. — The  Grown  of  Loving-kindness  and  Tender  Mercies,  v.  4. 

Fifth. — The  Mouth  satisfied  with  good,  and  the 
Strength  thereby  renewed,  v.  5. 

Sixth. — The  Lord  Executing  Judgment  for 
the  Oppressed,  v.  6. 

Seventh. — The  Lord  making  known 
His  ways  to  Men,  v.  1. 


VUl  ;  ^  ANALYSIS. 

11. 

MANIFOLD  BENEFITS 

Flowing  out  on  the  Character  of  God, 

THROUGH  Christ, 

IN  Sevenfold  Fulness  and  Perfection. 

The  Lord  is  (1)  Merciful,  and  (2)  Gracious, 

(3)  Slow  to  Anger,  and  (4)  Plenteous  in  Mercy, 

The  Lord  (5)  doth  not  always  Chide, 

(6)  nor  keep  His  Anger  for  Ever, 

(1)  nor  deal  with  sinners  as  they  deserve,  v.  8,  9,  10 

These  Truths  amplified  and  pictorially  exhibited 
IN  the  11th,  12th,  and  13th  Verses,  by 

HI- 
IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS 
Surpassing  Comprehension  in  Eeighth 

AND  breadth,  in  DePTH  AND  LENGTH  :  THEREFORE 

indescribable  ;  and  only  attempted  to  be  illustrated 
by  coilparison  with  natural  emblems  : — 

The  Heighth  of  God's  Mercy — Immeasurable,  v.  11. 
Its  Emblem— The  Heighth  of  Heaven  above  the  Earth. 
The  Breadth  of  God's  Forgiveness — Incomprehensible,  v.  12 
Its  Emblem — The  Distance  of  the  East  from  the  West. 
The  Depth  of  God's  Pity — Unfathomable,  v.  13. 
Its  Emblem — The  Pity  of  a  Father  to  his  Chiddren. 
The  Length  of  God's  Love — Everlasting. 
Its  Emblem — not  to  be  found  on  Earth  :  Comparison 

fails  ;  THEEETOEE  CONiaAST  18  EMPLOYED  TO 

exhibit. 


V         ANALYSIS.  ix 

^  lY. 

EYERLASTIXa  BENEFITS 

Contrasted  with  the  Brevity 
OP  Human  Existence,  v.  12  to  19. 

Everlasting  Mercy,  v.  IT. 

Everlasting  Righteousness,  v.  11. 

The  Everlasting  and  Prepared  Throne,  v.  19. 

The  Everlasting  and  Universal  Kingdom,  v.  19. 


PAET  III. 

CONCLUDING   ADDRESSES. 

CALL  TO  UNIVERSAL  GRATITUDE 

Upon  Angels,  v.  20. 

—  All  the  Hosts  of  the  Lord,  v.  21. 

—  All  the  "Works  of  the  Lord,  v.  22. 

—  -    The  Psalmist's  own  Soul,  v.  22. 


I. 

Call  to  Itrsflwal  §x^lUn^i. 

0 

Bless  the  Lord,  O  ray  soul:  and  all  that  is  within  me,  hless 
His  holy  name. 

Bless  the  Lord,  O  vaj  soul,  and  forget  not  all  His  benefits. — 
Verses  1,  2. 

The  hundred  and  third  Psalm  is  an  exquisite  song  of 
thanksgiving.  It  is  the  outpouring  of  a  heaven-taught  grati- 
tude. It  is  the  "  spiritual  hymn"  of  a  redeemed  sinner, 
"  singing  and  making  melody  in  his  heart  to  the  Lord."  It 
is  the  inspired  address  of  the  Royal  Psalmist  to  his  own 
soul,  which  so  powerfully  affects  also  the  souls  of  others,  that 
multitudes  in  every  succeeding  age  have  felt  its  appropriate 
and  inspiritmg  words  to  be  addressed  to  themselves. 

The  hundred  and  third  Psalm  is  an  universal  song.  It  is 
suited  for  all  ages,  appropriate  to  all  persons,  and  applicable 
to  all  conditions.  Every  nation  under  heaven  may  equally 
adopt  its  language.  With  the  single  exception  of  the  seventh 
verse,  it  might  have  been  written  by  the  first  Adam,  to  be  sung 
by  him  and  by  all  his  descendants  to  the  days  of  David,  by 
whom  it  was  written  with  that  verse,  to  be  sung  by  the  second 
Adam  and  all  His  posterity  to  the  end  of  Time.  Jesus  used 
this  Psalm  in  the  days  of  His  flesh.    The  Spirit  of  God  inspired 


12  CALL   TO    PERSONAL   GRATITUDE. 

it,  and  the  Son  of  God  employed  it,  to  express  the  gratitude  of 
the  whole  family  of  the  redeemed.  The  Head  of  that  family  is 
the  chief  singer  on  this  well-tuned  instrument.  He  leads  the 
prayers,  He  leads  also  the  praises,  of  His  household.  The 
only  pure  and  perfect  thanksgivings,  ever  uttered  in  our 
fallen  world,  issued  from  the  lips  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 
His  human  heart  beat  high  with  holy  gratitude.  He  was  the 
High  Priest  of  the  Church,  not  only  to  intercede,  but  also  to 
offer  thanks.  He  has  acknowledged  in  our  name,  all  the 
known  and  unknown  mercies  for  which  we  stand  indebted 
to  the  God  of  love.  Our  debt  of  sm,  He  has  not  more 
surely  paid,  than  our  debt  of  gratitude.  Christ  abounded 
in  thanksgivings.  We  read  that  He  "  gave  thanks,"  Matt, 
xxvi.  27,  and  that  He  "  sang  an  hymn,"  v.  30.  Such  we 
believe  was  His  constant  habit.  In  solitude,  we  doubt  not, 
He  spake  often  "  to  Himself,"  and  in  company  with  His 
disciples,  He  and  they  would  speak  often  "  one  to  another, 
in  psalms  and  hymns  and  spiritual  songs,"  Eph.  v.  19. 
This  joyous  Psalm,  we  cannot  but  conceive,  would  be  spe- 
cially delighted  in  by  Christ  and  His  disciples,  as  it  is,  and 
has  been,  by  all  true  Christians.  Jesus  thanked  God  for 
the  forgiveness,  not  of  personal,  but  of  imputed  sin.  As 
Luther,  to  this  effect,  remarks  on  similar  expressions  in 
other  psalms,  "  The  Lord  Jesus  so  identifies  Himself  with 
His  bride,  taking  all  her  debts  upon  His  own  head,  that  He 
speaks  of  her  sins  as  if  they  were  His  own,  confesses  them, 
bewails  them,  entreats  for  their  forgiveness,  and  gives  thanks 
for  their  full  remission."  The  hundred  and  third  Psalm  be- 
comes hereby  consecrated  to  every  disciple,  because  his 


CALL   TO   PKRSONAL   GRATITUDK.  13 

Master  used  it.  And  that  Master  ever  lives,  as  grateful 
now  as  when  He  dwelt  on  earth.  Jesus  still  praises  God, 
and  calls  on  all  His  disciples  to  join  their  praises  with  His. 
As  our  prayers  ascend  only  through  His  prayers,  so  our 
praises  ascend  only  through  His  thanksgivings.  It  is  in 
Christ  that  we  pray.  It  is  in  Christ  that  we  praise.  The 
High  Priest  is  expressly  "  ordained  to  offer"  both  "  gifts  and 
sacrifices,"  Heb.  viii.  3 — "  gifts,"  the  visible  praises,  and 
"  sacrifices,"  the  visible  prayers,  of  the  Church.  When  we 
use  this,  or  any  other  psalm,  in  public  or  in  private  wor- 
ship, we  can  do  so,  with  acceptance,  only  as  members  of 
Christ's  body.  The  action  of  one  member  is  regarded  as 
the  action  of  all,  that  there  nlay  be  no  schism  in  the  body. 
We  take  part  in  Christ's  praises  ;  and  He  takes  part  in  ours. 
He  feels  a  sympathy  with  the  gratitude  of  the  lowest  mem- 
ber of  His  body.  And  oh  !  what  a  relief  and  consolation  is 
it  to  know  that  our  poor  praises  become  enriched  and  har- 
monized by  the  perfect  thanksgivings  of  our  Lord,  and  that 
our  unworthy  acknowledgments  are  presented  before  the 
throne  as  His  praises  and  our  praises — as  His  acknowledg- 
ments for  what  He  has  received  in  us,  and  our  acknowledg- 
ments for  what  we  have  received  through  Him  ! 

So  elevated,  however,  is  the  strain  of  holy  gratitude  in 
this  Psalm,  that  we  essay  in  vain  to  reach  its  height.  Every 
emotion  we  feel  seems  too  cold,  every  thought  too  weak, 
every  expression  too  tame,  when  we  read  these  glowing 
words  of  David.  Oh,  God  our  Saviour,  how  wanting  are 
we  in  this  most  needful  grace  of  gratitude  to  Thee  We 
long  to  praise  Thee  with  the  Psalm,  and  also  with  the  spirit 


14  CALL   TO   PEKSONAL   GRATITUDE. 

of  David.  We  long  to  be  one  in  gratitude  with  those  who 
love  Thee  most,  who  praise  Thee  best,  in  earth  and  heaven. 
Oh  Thou  blessed  Spirit,  who  didst  attune  the  heart  and  harp 
of  David,  waken  our  souls  to  gratitude  and  praise  !  Forgive 
their  mute  and  miserable  state.  Their  loose  and  broken 
strings  set  right, — yea,  furnish  new.  Then  deign  to  be  our 
Teacher.  Strike  the  key-note,  and  bid  us  learn.  Touch 
every  chord  within  our  breast,  and  make  it  vibrate  to  Thy 
■will.  Help  us  to  catch  the  note  of  every  mercy  as  it  flies. 
Let  the  varied  harmonies  of  temporal,  spiritual,  and  eternal 
benefits,  rise  full  and  strong  upon  our  ear,  that  new  songs  of 
gratitude,  fresh  themes  of  praise,  may  daily  cheer  our  earthly 
pilgrimage  ;  and,  by  our  meditations  on  this  Psalm,  pre- 
pare our  lisping  souls  to  join  the  happy  choir  above  of  saints 
and  angels,  who  cease  not  day  nor  night  their  holy  strains 
of  gratitude ;  singing  the  praises  of  the  Father,  and  of  the 
Sou,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  one  God,  forever,  Amen. 

We  cannot  now  determine  with  precision  either  the  par- 
ticular time  when  the  hundred  and  third  Psalm  was  indited, 
or  the  circumstances  which  called  it  forth.  Every  successive 
line,  however,  discloses  to  us  the  intense  and  varied  emo- 
tions by  which  its  utterance  was  prompted. 

The  son  of  Jesse  appears,  at  the  period  of  the  composition 
of  this  Psalm,  to  have  been  specially  impressed  with  a  joy 
ful  consciousness  of  the  Divine  goodness.  The  love  of  God 
was  shed  abroad  in  his  heart,  and  kindlings  of  unusual  joy 
and  gratitude  were  awakened  within  him,  by  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Under  the  impulse  of  these  glad  emotions,  he  would 
fain  draw  nigh  at  once  to  God  with  the  most  fervent  praises  ; 


CALL  TO  PERSONAL  GRATITUDE.        15 

but  suddenly  he  appears  as  if  arrested  by  a  deep  sense  of 
his  own  sinfuhiess.  He  feels  that  he  is  altogether  unworthy 
to  lift  up  his  eyes  unto  heaven,  much  less  to  speak  to  the 
High  and  Holy  One  that  sitteth  on  its  lofty  throne.  In  un- 
feigned humility,  therefore,  he  presents  his  adorations  indi- 
rectly, like  the  cherubim  and  the  seraphim  on  high.  Veiling 
their  faces  with  their  wings,  these  blessed  beings,  in  pro- 
foundest  reverence,  as  all  unworthy  to  address  the  Divine 
Majesty,  cry  one  to  another,  Holy,  holy,  holy,  is  the  Lord 
of  Hosts.  So  David,  in  like  manner,  does  not  here  address 
himself,  as  in  other  Psalms,  directly  to  the  glorious  Jeho- 
vah ;  nor  does  he  begin  by  calling  upon  any  of  his  fellow- 
creatures  to  magnify  His  name  :  he  addresses  his  words  to 
his  own  soul,  and  stirs  up  every  spiritual  affection,  every  in- 
ward faculty,  to  praise  and  bless  his  gracious  Benefactor. 
He  places  himself  in  lowliest  posture  and  position  before  the 
footstool  of  the  throne  of  grace,  and  there,  "  speaking  to 
himself  in  this  Psalm  and  spiritual  song,"  he  breathes  forth 
the  spirit  of  praise  in  the  sublimest  strains. 

It  is  observable  that  no  petition  occurs  throughout  the 
entire  compass  of  these  twenty- two  verses.  There  is  not  a 
single  word  of  supplication  in  the  whole  Psalm  addressed 
to  the  Most  High.  Prayer,  fervent,  heartfelt  prayer,  had 
doubtless  been  previously  offered  on  the  part  of  the  Psalm- 
ist, and  answered  on  the  part  of  God.  Innumerable  bless- 
ings appear  to  have  been  showered  down  from  above  in  ac- 
knowledgment of  David's  supplications ;  and,  therefore,  an 
overflowing  gratitude  now  bursts  forth  from  their  joyful  re- 
cipient.    He  touches  every  chord  of  his  harp  and  of  his 


16  CALL   TO   PERSONAL   GRATITUDE. 

heart  together,  and  pours  forth  a  spontaneous  melody  of 
sweetest  sound  and  purest  praise. 

In  many  of  his  Psalms,  David  had  called  on  others  to 
celebrate  the  mercies  of  his  God.  Their  hearts  he  had 
often  thus  incited  to  grateful  praise  :  "  Kejoice  in  the  Lord, 
O  ye  righteous  :  for  praise  is  comely  for  the  upright."  Psa. 
xxxiii.  1.  "  O  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord  :  call  upon  His 
name :  make  known  His  deeds  among  the  people.  Sing 
unto  Him,  sing  psalms  unto  him ;  talk  ye  of  all  His  won- 
drous works."  Psa.  cv.  1,  2. 

So  full  and  overpowering  also,  at  various  times,,  was  his 
sense  of  the  Lord's  goodness,  that  we  find  the  Psalmist  call- 
ing in  the  aid,  not  only  of  other  believers,  but  also  of  every 
instrument  of  music,  and  of  all  the  different  members  of  his 
body,  and  of  all  the  various  faculties  of  his  soul,  to  assist 
him  in  its  utterance :  "  O  come  let  us  sing  unto  the  Lord  ; 
let  us  make  a  joyful  noise  to  the  Rock  of  our  salvation." 
Psa.  xcv.  1.  "  Praise  the  Lord  with  harp  ;  sing  unto  Him 
with  the  psaltery,  and  an  instrument  of  ten  strings."  Psa. 
xxxiii.  2.  "  I  will  also  praise  Thee  with  the  psaltery,  even 
Thy  truth,  O  my  God  :  unto  Thee  will  I  sing  with  the  harp, 
O  Thou  holy  One  of  Israel.  My  lips  shall  greatly  rejoice 
when  I  sing  unto  Thee ;  and  my  soul,  which  Thou  hast  re- 
deemed. My  tongue  also  shall  talk  of  Thy  righteousness  all 
the  day  long."  Psa.  Ixxi.  22—24. 

It  is,  however,  in  this  hundred  and  third  Psalm,  that  the 
personal  gratitude  of  the  "  man  after  God's  own  heart" 
stands  out  most  vividly  to  view.  Here  his  own  duty,  as  an 
individual  to  praise  his  God,  is  at  once  personally  pressed, 


CALL   TO   PEKSOXAL   GEATITUDE.  17 

and  personally  discharged.  He  sets  his  mind  on  the  con- 
templation of  the  Divine  mercies, — and  instantly  spiritual, 
temporal,  and  everlasting  benefits  crowd  on  his  remembrance. 
Full  and  fervent,  therefore,  does  his  gratitude  become.  His 
whoLe  soul  glows  with  love  to  his  Redeemer, — he  appears 
wrapt  in  an  ecstasy  of  spiritual  joy.  The  bond  of  holy, 
heavenly  affection,  has  made  him  one  in  heart  with  God. 
He  believes  that  his  Lord  loves  him,  and  he  feels  that  he 
loves  his  Lord ;  overflowing,  therefore,  with  the  blessed 
sense  of  this  mutual  love,  he  addresses  his  own  happy  spirit, 
and  thus  incites  it  to  attain  the-  utmost  height  of  gratitude 
and  praise :  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul :  and  all  that  is 
within  me,  bless  His  holy  name.  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my 
soul,  and  forget  not  all  His  benefits." 

What  a  proof  is  here  of  the  sincerity  of  the  Psalmist's 
heart,  and  of  the  reality  and  the  fervor  of  his  gratitude ! 
The  state  of  his  soul  formed  the  grand  object  of  concern  to 
David.  He  watched  over  its  feelings.  He  diligently  ex- 
amined nito  its  position  as  before  God.  He  was  jealous 
over  himself  with  a  godly  jealousy,  and  he  sufiered  not  his 
spirit  to  continue  in  a  listless  and  lukewarm  condition.  On 
the  contrary,  he  pressed  it  forward  to  attain  higher  and  still 
higher  degrees  of  love,  and  thankfulness,  and  joy.  He  called 
in  .every  faculty,  he  summoned  every  emotion  of  his  soul, 
and  he  suffered  not  a  word,  nor  a  thought,  nor  a  feeling,  to 
remain  unemployed  in  praising  his  Redeemer.  As  if  one 
term  were  not  enough,  he  redoubles  his  soliloquy, — he  re- 
peats and  amplifies  the  terms  of  his  address :  "  Bless  the 
Lord,  O  my  soul :  and  all  that  is  within  me,  bless  His  holy 


18  CALL  TO   PERSONAL   GRATITUDE. 

name."  It  is  as  if  he  would  say,  "  Whatever  may  be  my 
natural  and  my  spiritual  endowments,  '  all  that  is  within 
me'  shall  love,  and  laud,  and  magnify  the  Author  of  my 
being,  the  Finisher  of  my  salvation,  and  the  Sanctifier  of  my 
nature.  Not  a  thought,  nor  a  feeling,  not  an  affection,  nor 
a  sentiment  within  me,  shall  draw  back  from  this  blessed 
occupation.  Every  faculty  of  my  nature,  every  emotion  of 
my  soul,  shall  be  consecrated  unto  God.^' 

Who  is  there  among  us  that  would  refuse  to  follow  this 
example  of  the  Psalmist  ?  Who  does  not  feel  his  constant 
need  to  imitate  it  ?  Our  hearts  within  us  are  dull  and  selfish 
by  nature.  They  require  to  be  continually  roused  to  Ac- 
tivity and  zeal  in  the  Lord's  service,  and  to  be  effectually 
stirred  up  to  grateful  celebrations  of  the  Divine  goodness. 

Alas !  how  prone  are  we  to  forget  the  mercies  of  our 
God.  Day  unto  day  uttereth  speech  of  the  liberality  of  the 
Lord :  night  unto  night  showeth  forth  knowledge  of  His 
long-suffering  :  year  after  year  proclaims  aloud  the  vastness, 
the  freeness,  and  the  excellency,  of  His  love  toward  us.  Oh ! 
that  day  unto  day  uttered  speech  also  of  our  devotedness  : 
tha^  night  unto  night  showed  forth  knowledge  of  our  grati- 
tude ;  and  that  one  year  after  another  proclaimed  aloud  the 
sincerity,  the  intensity,  and  the  continual  increase,  of  our 
love  to  our  Redeemer.  Surely  the  burden  of  every  renewed 
heart  is  this,  that  its  praises  are  so  cold  and  lifeless,  and  its 
gratitude  so  grievously  inadequate. 

Intelligent  thank-offering  is  the  honorable  employment, 
and  the  peculiar  prerogative,  of  angels  and  of  tlie  Lord's  re- 
deemed.    All  creation,  indeed,  should  celebrate  the  praises 


CALL  TO  PERSONAL  GRATITUDE,  19 

of  the  Great  Creator.  In  either  world,  the  animate  and  the 
inanimate,  all  things,  all  beings,  should  show  forth  His  praise. 
The  lower  animals  in  their  measure,  equally  with  men,  are 
recipients  of  the  blessings  of  the  Most  High,  and  are,  like 
them,  dependents  upon  His  bounty.  They  partake  of  His 
universal  provision,  and  they  lie  sleeping  under  His  almighty 
protection.  But,  so  far  as  we  can  tell,  they  know  not  the 
God  that  made  them,  neither  do  their  instincts  raise  them  to 
their  unseen  Benefactor.  They  possess,  however,  earthly 
benefactors  whom  they  see  and  know,  and  the  gratitude  of 
these  dumb  creatures  towards  their  masters,  not  unfre-  • 
quently  presents  a  striking  contrast  to  the  ingratitude  of 
men  towards  their  God.  In  His  own  unerring  word,  He 
thus  puts  His  people  to  shame  by  the  comparison :  "  Hear, 

0  heavens,  and  give  ear,  O  earth :  for  the  Lord  hath  spoken, 

1  have  nourished  and  brought  up  children,  and  they  have    . 
rebelled  against  me.     The  ox  knoweth  his  owner,  and  the  L^ 
ass  his  master's  crib  :  but  Israel  doth  not  know,  my  people 
doth  not  consider."  Isa.  i.  2,  3. 

Ingratitude  is  no  light  sin.  Its  guilt  mcreases  in  a  four 
fold  proportion,  for  it  must  be  estimated  by  the  greatness 
of  the  Giver,  by  the  unworthmess  of  the  receiver,  and  by 
the  number,  and  by  the  excellency,  of  the  benefits  bestowed. 
Ingratitude  from  man  to  man  is  odious.  Ingratitude  from 
man  to  God  is  base  and  horrible  in  the  extreme.  To  accept 
a  benefit  and  to  return  no  acknowledgment,  is  altogether 
without  the  shadow  of  an  excuse.  In  the  sight  of  God  and 
men,  the  ingrate  is  most  justly  despicable. 

Who  shall  describe  the  Egyptian  blackness  of  ingratitude  1 


20  CALL  TO-  PERSOXAL   GRATITUDE. 

It  is  "  a  darkness  that  may  be  felt."     It  is  the  "  midnight" 
of  the  soul.     It  is  the  death-stroke  on  every  "  first-born" 
hope,  every  noble  aspiration,  of  the  human  breast.     Ingrati- 
tude is  Satanic.     The  first  foul  spirit  that  rebelled,  was  the 
first  ingrate  in  creation.     The  type,  the  personification  of 
ingratitude,  is  the  "  Dragon,  that  old  Serpent."  Rev.  xx.  2. 
Nursed  in  his  first  estate  of  happiness  and  glory,  he  kept  it 
not,  but  turned  against  the  gracious  Lord  that  had  created 
him.     No  bosom  is  proof  against  the  entrance  of  ingrati- 
tude ;  and  when  once  admitted,  no  created  being  can  of  him- 
self resist  its  transforming,  and  demoralizing,  power.     The 
angel  who  first  entertained  it  in  his  breast,  became  thereby 
the  first  fiend.    Pride  has  b^en  called  the  father,  and  ingrati- 
tude may  be  denominated  the  monster-mother,  of  iniquity. 
The  whole  brood  of  our  transgressions  display  the  lineaments 
of  their  descent.    So  "  exceeding  sinful"  is  this  sin,  that  there 
is  not  a  single  thought,  or  word,  or  deed,  against  the  Uni- 
versal Benefactor,  but  bears  the  impress  of  their  ingratitude 
upon  its  front.     Every  sin  is  not  envious,  nor  false,  nor 
malicious,  but  every  sin  against  our  God  is  certamly  ungrate- 
ful.    Anger  is  an  ingrate.     Envy  is  an  ingrate.    Falsehood 
is  an  ingrate.     Examine  every  form  and  species  of  trans- 
gression against  the  Most  High, — idolatry,  disobedience,  self- 
righteousness,  blasphemy,  pride,  malice,  self-will,  and  every 
other  sin  that  can  be  named — these,  all  these,  not  only  ren- 
der us  guilty  in  express  terms  of  law,  but  also  prove  us  to 
be  a  "  generation  of  vipers,"  who  sting  the  very  bosom  in 
which  they  have  been  nursed. 

Ingratitude  is  the  arid  desert  in  the  region  of  the  human 


CALL   TO   PERSONAL   GRATITUDE.  21 

heart,  warmed  by  the  sun  and  watered  by  the  rains,  yet  con- 
tinuing as  bare  and  unproductive  as  before.  It  exhibits  the 
sluggard's  garden  in  our  soul,  bearing  disgraceful  testimony 
both  against  its  o^\Tier  and  itself.  It  is  like  the  barren  fig- 
tree  in  our  profession,  which  after  years  of  watching  and 
of  cultivation,  brings  forth  no  fruit.  The  dark  mine  yields 
ore,  and  the  hard  rock  gives  gold  ;  from  the  worthless  shell 
we  gain  a  pearl,  and  from  a  poor  mean  worm  we  are  sup-  / 
plied  with  silk  ;  but  from  ingratitude  we  get  no  return.  It 
is  darker  than  the  mine,  and  harder  than  the  rock ;  it  is 
more  worthless  than  the-  shell,  more  mean  andun^ejaereits 
than  the  worm.  Some  sins  have  a  specious  appearance  in 
the  eyes  of  the  world,  whereby  men's  minds  are  oft  beguiled 
to  call  them  virtues  ;  but  ingratitude  possesses  not  a  single 
redeeming  quality.  It  has  no  specious  appearance,  no  fair 
color,  no  bright  side  whatsoever.  It  is  unmixed  evil — es- 
sential evil—"  only  evil,  and  that  continually."  Historians 
have  not  recorded  it  in  any  single  instance  with  approbation. 
Moralists  have  made  no  exceptional  case  in  its  favor  to  ad- 
mit it  amongst  the  virtues.  Poets  have  not  been  heard  to 
sing  its  praises  in  any  nation  or  language  under  heaven. 
Philosophers  may  have  pandered  to  almost  every  vice,  but 
none  have  pandered  to  ingratitude.  Merchants  have  made 
gains  of  innumerable  sins,  but  no  man  has  turned  ingrati- 
tude to  account.  It  is  an  unstamped  coin  of  the  kingdom 
of  darkness.  None  acknowledge  it  in  earth  or  hell.  It  is  a 
vice  so  base,  that  even  the  vilest  of  men  will  turn  with  in- 
dignation when  denominated  ingrates.  Ingratitude  is  rob- 
bery, for  it  deprives  the  benefactor  of  the  acknowledgment 


22  CALL  TO  PERSONAL  GRATITUDE. 

that  is  his  due.  Ingratitude  is  rebellion,  for  the  King  of 
Heaven  has  commanded  us  in  everything  to  give  thanks. 
Ingratitude  is  cruel,  how  many  a  heart  has  it  not  broken  1 
Ingratitude  is  a  monster  which,  wherever  it  appears,  ob- 
tains universal  execration,  standing  unrivalled  in  its  own  pe- 
culiar turpitude,  alike  unexcused  and  inexcusable. 

How'  revolting,  therefore,  how  "  exceeding  sinful"  is  in- 
gratitude towards  God.  It  deepens  the  guilt  of  all  our  other 
sins  against  Him,  and  imparts  to  each  of  them  its  own  hate- 
ful character. 

But  oh,  how  good,  how  pleasant,  how  comely,  is  grati- 
tude !  How  just  is  it,  how  reasonable  !  Next  in  blessed- 
ness to  giving  gifts,  is  the  consciousness  of  giving  thanks. 
Gratitude  is  a  noble  return.  It  is  the  highest  which  man 
can  render  either  to  his  God  or  to  his  fellows.  It  is  the 
response  of  the  heart — that  very  response  which  God  re- 
quires, and  in  which  His  soul  delights.  Why  has  the  Lord 
made  this  world  of  ours  so  fair — adorned  the  earth  with 
flowers — and  crowned  the  year  with  goodness '?  To  draw 
forth  our  gratitude !  Why  did  he  preserve  our  infancy, 
guard  our  youth,  and  sustain  our  manhood  1  To  draw  forth 
our  gratitude  !  And  why,  in  addition  to  all  these  temporal 
mercies,  has  the  Lord  loaded  us  with  spiritual  benefits,  so 
great,  so  suitable,  and  so  precious,  that  neither  heart  can 
conceive,  nor  tongue  can  express  them  1  Why,  we  ask,  has 
the  Lord  poured  forth  upon  us  all  the  blessings  of  redemp- 
tion *?  Surely,  amid  other  gracious  reasons,  this  is  not  the 
least, — that  He  might  draw  forth  from  our  hearts  a  full  and 
everlasting  gratitude. 


CALL  TO  PERSONAL  GRATITUDE.        23 

Oh  gratitude,  gratitude  ! — What  amount  of  thankfuhiess 
can  ever  equal  infinite  obligations  ?  "  Who  can  utter  the 
mighty  acts  of  the  Lord  1  who  can  show  forth  all  His 
praise  ?"  Psa.  cvi.  2.  Surely  "  it  is  a  good  thmg  to  give 
thanks  unto  the  Lord,  and  sing  praises  unto  Thy  name,  O 
Most  High.  To  show  forth  Thy  loving  kindness  in  the 
morning  and  Thy  faithfulness  every  night."   Psa.  xcii.  1,  2. 

Gratitude  adorns  the  believing  soul.  "  Praise  is  comely 
for  the  upright."  A  thankful  heart  must  needs  be  a  happy 
heart.  Let  us,  then,  cultivate  gratitude.  It  is  one  of  the 
fairest  and  most  useful  flowers  in  the  garden  of  the  soul.  It 
should  be  the  first  to  blossom,  and  the  last  to  fade,  in  every 
believer's  breast.  Its  presence  is  always  pleasant,  and  its 
odor  sweeter  than  the  richest  perfumes.  Gratitude  glad- 
dens the  heart  in  which  it  dwells,  and  imparts  its  gladness 
to  the  hearts  of  others.  It  dispels  melancholy.  It  dissi- 
pates care.  It  begets  cheerfulness,  and  it  throws  a  charm 
over  all  the  little  incidents  of  life.  A  grateful  man  is  sure 
to  be  a  contented  man.  No  fretful  thought,  no  murmuring 
disposition,  can  remain  long  in  the  breast  of  a  grateful 
Christian.  Whatsoever  his  lot  in  life  may  be,  he  will 
neither  envy  the  position  of  others,  nor  repine  against  his 
own.  He  will  look  around  him  with  a  contented  mind,  be- 
cause he  looks  upward  with  a  thankful  heart. 

Holy  gratitude  is  an  assemblage  of  graces — a  combina- 
tion of  virtues — the  gathered  honey  of  the  choicest  flowers 
— a  moral  constellation  of  the  brightest  stars.  Examine  it 
steadfastly  by  the  glass  of  the  Word,  and  you  will  observe 
in  it  the  collected  lights  of  faith  and  love,  of  humility  and 


% 

2^  CALL   TO    PPJESONAL   GRATITUDE. 

contentment,  of  obedience  and  temperance,  of  meekness  and 
goodness,  of  peace  and  hope,  and  joy.  Gratitude  is  a  mir- 
ror in  the  soul,  reflecting  the  image  of  its  several  benefits. 
It  is  as  a  bright  rainbow  in  our  spiritual  atmosphere,  dis- 
playing the  various  colors  of  the  rays  that  call  it  into  being. 
It  is  as  the  "  apple-tree  amongst  the  trees  of  the  wood," 
Cant.  ii.  8,  dropping  its  ripest  fruits  upon  the  earth,  which 
gives  existence  to  itself  and  them.  It  has  been  likened  to  a 
verdant  willow,  bending  gracefully  her  boughs  to  kiss  the 
w^aters  that  refresh  her  roots.  Gratitude  is  like  a  tidal 
wave  returning  with  all  its  gatherings  to  the  ocean  whence 
it  flowed.  It  is  like  a  sunbeam  sparkling  on  the  waters,  and 
then  darting  a  bright  ray  to  heaven  ere  it  dies.  It  is  like  an 
infant  with  its  joyous  countenance  smiling  back  a  mother's 
look  of  love.  It  is  like  an  awakened  echo  in  the  heart,  re- 
sponding to  the  voice  of  its  gracious  benefactor. 

Gratitude  is  a  noble  and  ennobling  virtue.  It  glorifies  the 
Lord  and  enriches  the  believer.  It  elevates  its  possessor, 
and  inspires  him  with  joy.  Who  shall  describe  the  happi- 
ness of  a  believing  grateful  heart — 

"When  o'er  the  soul  a  pleasure  steals 
Sweet  as  the  gentle  breath  of  even ; 
Making  the  bosom  that  it  fills 
A  little  heaven  V 

H.  v.  T. 

Yes,  sanctified  gratitude  is  heaven  begun.  The  city  of  the 
living  God  abounds  with  worshippers,  it  resounds  with  hal- 
lelujahs. The  voice  of  angels  is  praise.  The  language  of  the 
saints  is  adoration.     The  anthems  of  the  Church  below,  are 


CALL   TO   PERSONAL   GUATITUDE.  25 

her  responses  to  the  symphonies  of  the  Church  above. 
Gratitude  is  the  music  of  heaven  in  the  soul.  The  full  swell 
of  the  benevolence  of  the  Most  High,  meets  a  most  perfect 
concord  in  the  everlasting  gratitude  of  the  redeemed. 

Let  gratitude  then  abound  on  the  earth.  Let  it  con- 
tinually  actuate  every  believer's  breast.  Let  us  set  our- 
selves diligently  to  prayer;  let  us  also  set  ourselves  dili- 
gently to  praise.  "  Pray  without  ceasing,"  says  the  apostle ; 
and  immediately  adds,  "  In  everything  give  thanks  :  for  this 
is  the  will  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  concerning  you."  1  Thess. 
V.  17,  18.  Obey  this  command,  O  believer.  Look  around 
you  for  causes  of  thankfulness.  Be  eagle-eyed  to  discern 
your  mercies,  rather  than  your  miseries.  See  how  many 
they  are  in  the  house,  and  in  the  street — in  the  country,  and 
in  the  city — in  your  own  person,  and  in  yout  family — 
among  your  relatives,  and  throughout  your  friends — in  your 
native  country,  and  in  the  world  at  large.  Look  not  always 
at  the  dark  spots  in  every  picture,  lest  your  mind  be  dark- 
ened like  them.  Fix  your  eyes  also  on  the  bright  and  the 
beautiful,  that  your  mind  may  reflect  your  image.  Let  the 
one  teach  you  to  pray.     Let  the  other  teach  you  to  praise. 

Stir  thyself  up,  O  Christian,  and  be  not  slothful.  Call 
home  thy  wandering  thoughts ;  be  not  ungrateful.  It  is  the 
will  of  God  that  thou  shouldst  be  thankful,  and  He  has  given 
thee  innumerable  reasons  to  be  so.  Search  the  two  worlds 
of  matter  and  of  spirit,  with  which  thou  art  closely  connect- 
ed in  soul  and  body.  Behold  how  they  abound  with  tokens 
of  the  beneficence  of  thy  God.  Thy  creation  is  a  marvel. 
Thy  preservation  is  a  miracle.     Thy  redemption  is  a  theme 


26  CALL  TO   l^ERSONAL  GRATITUDE. 

of  love  and  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory.  Who  called 
thee  out  of  nothing,  and  gave  thee  being  ? — The  God  of  love. 
Who  preserved  thy  being  in  its  frailest  hour,  and  fed  and 
nourished  thee  to  thy  present  strength  1 — The  God  of  love. 
Who  gives  thee  health  and  raiment,  and  friends  and  fortune, 
encircling  thee  with  His  zone  of  blessings  ? — The  God  of 
love.  Who  bears  with  thy  waywardness,  and  forbears  with 
thy  provocations,  the  coldness  of  thy  affection,  and  the  short- 
comings of  thy  gratitude  ? — The  God  of  love.  Who  gives 
thee  "  means  of  grace"  for  the  well-being  of  thy  soul,  and 
sets  before  thee  the  "  hope  of  glory"  for  the  encouragement 
of  thy  fainting  spirit? — The  God  of  love.  Who  spared 
not  His  own  Son,  but  freely  delivered  Him  unto  death  for 
us  all  1 — The  God  of  love.  Wilt  thou  not,  then,  most  fer- 
vently say  with  David,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul ;  and 
all  that  is  within  me,  bless  His  holy  name.  Bless  the  Lord, 
O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  His  benefits  V 

Yes,  O  believer,  it  is  the  Lord  Jehovah  who  "  performeth 
all  things"  for  thee.  Psa.  Ivii.  2.  Give  Him  then  the  honor 
which  is  so  justly  due ;  and  let  not  even  affliction  hinder 
thee  from  praising  God.  His  name  is  holy.  His  nature  is 
holy.  All  His  ways  are  holy  and  just  and  good.  What- 
ever may  have  been  the  trials  of  thy  past  life,  believe  that 
the  Lord  is  holy  in  every  thought  of  His  mind,  in  every 
feeling  of  His  heart,  and  in  every  act  of  His  hand,  towards 
thee.  And  whatever  may  be  the  burdens  that  now  press 
down  thy  soul,  believe  that  the  Lord  is  holy  in  laying  them 
upon  thee.  Yea,  seek  to  rise  higher  than  this.  Seek  with 
the  apostle  to  glory  even  in  infirmities,  and  to  bless  God 


CALL   TO   PERSONAL    GRATITUDE.  27 

unfeignedly  for  afflictions.  Those  burdens  by  which  he 
bows  thee  down  are  blessings  in  disguise.  Those  burdens 
are  benefits.  Despise  them  not.  The  drag  upon  thy 
chariot-wheel  saves  thee  from  destruction.  The  time  h 
coming  when  each  afflicted  believer  shall  be  enabled  to  say 
of  the  Lord,  "  Bless  His  holy  name,  all  my  bitterest  sor- 
rows have  worked  together  for  my  eternal  good."  Antici- 
pate, then,  this  song  of  gratitude.  If  thou  art  to  bless  God 
in  heaven  for  all  things,  bless  Him  also  now  for  them  on 
the  earth.  Stir  up  thy  heart.  Call  loudly  on  thy  slumber- 
ing soul.  Invoke  continually  the  quickening  Spirit  to  rouse 
up  "  all  that  is  within  thee"  to  tliis  angelic  work  of  praising 
God. 

Remember,  O  Christian,  for  thy  encouragement,  that  it  is 
the  blessed  office  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  fill  thy  heart  with 
thankfulness.  It  was  not  from  mere  natural  disposition 
that  David  here  praised  God.  Of  ourselves  we  should 
never  exhibit  true  spiritual  gratitude  to  our  Maker.  Our 
lips  are  closed,  because  our  hearts  are  dead  in  spiritual  in- 
sensibility. God  is  not  regarded  as  the  Giver,  and  the 
Doer,  of  all  things.  In  our  sleep  by  night,  and  our  food  by 
day,  in  the  light  we  see,  and  in  the  air  we  breathe,  we  be- 
hold not  the  Lord,  and  therefore  we  give  Him  not  the  trib- 
ute of  special  thanksgiving.  The  natural  heart  takes  all 
these  mercies  as  its  right,  and  as  matters  of  course  ;  there- 
fore it  must  be  quickened  and  instructed  by  the  Spirit  of 
Grace.  The  cold,  ungrateful  soul,  must  be  warmed  by  the 
fire  of  a  Saviour's  love,  and  then  will  the  closed  lips  be 
opened ;  then  will  the  voice  of  gratitude  be  heard  saying, 


28  CALL   TO   PEESONxiL   GRATITUDE. 

*'  I  love  Him,  because  He  first  loved  me."  It  is  the  Divine 
Spirit-  alone  who  kindles  in  the  human  breast  the  conse- 
crated flame  of  holy  gratitude.  That  gratitude  sweetly  con- 
straining us  to  think,  to  speak,  and  to  act,  for  the  glory  of 
God,  converts  the  whole  life  of  the  believer  into  a  continu- 
ous thank-offering.  On  Jesus  only  for  acceptance,  as  the 
true  Christian  altar,  will  that  thank-offering  be  placed.  He 
also  is  our  great  High  Priest,  by  whom  alone  it  can  be 
presented  unto  God.  "  By  Him,  therefore,"  says  the  apos- 
tle, "  let  us  offer  the  sacrifice  of  praise  to  God  continually, 
,  that  is,  the  fruit  of  our  lips  giving  thanks  to  His  name." 
Heb.  xiii.  15. 

Let  us  ever,  therefore,  remember  that  our  praises,  as  well 
as  our  prayers,  must  be  offered  only  through  Christ.  Our 
most  fervent  thanksgivings  require  both  an  atonement  and 
a  Mediator.  Let  this  truth  be  strongly  and  continually  im- 
pressed upon  our  minds.  Amid  much  that  is  of  an  oppo- 
site character,  there  is  still  to  be  found  a  great  deal  of 
natural  gratitude  in  our  fallen  world.  It  is  so  right,  so 
amiable,  so  acceptable,  between  man  and  man,  that  we  are 
ever  prone  to  conclude  that  it  is  acceptable  also  with  God. 
If  naturally  you  possess  a  cheerful,  contented  disposition, 
and,  as  men  speak,  "  feel  thankful  for  everything,"  be  thank- 
ful for  such  a  disposition,  but  be  not  mistaken  regarding  it. 
In  and  of  itself,  it  is  indeed  lovely  and  pleasant  before  men ; 
but  it  is  not,  in  and  of  itself,  acceptable  before  God.  Bear 
constantly  in  mind  the  following  important  distinction  which 
the  Psalmist  made  when  speaking  of  himself,  "  My  goodness 
extendeth  not  to  Thee ;  but  to  the  saints  that  are  in  the 


CALL   TO   PERSONAL   GRATITUDE.  29 

earth,  and  to  the  excellent  in  whom  is  all  my  delight." 
Psa.  xvi.  3.  Nothing  is  acceptable  with  God — "nothing 
extended  to  Him  " — unless  It  is  offered  through  Christ,  per- 
fumed with  the  incense  of  His  sacrifice.  Men  say,  "  It  is 
right  to  be  thankful ;  and  if  we  are  only  thankful,  what 
more  can  be  demanded?  Do  we  not  all  delight  to  hear 
men  say,  '  Thank  God  for  my  mercies  V  "  So  far,  indeed, 
as  the  mere  words  are  concerned,  the  Pharisee  himself  may 
not  be  blamed,  and  all  of  us  ought  to  pray  thus  with  our- 
selves, "  God,  I  thank  Thee  that  I  am  not  as  other  men  are." 
If  we  have  not  personally  gone  all  lengths  in  wickedness  with 
others,  we  certainly  must  not  take  the  credit  to  ourselves, 
but  ascribe  the  praise  to  God,  and  thank  Him  for  it.  No 
doctrine  can  be  more  correct.  But  while  this  is  the  char- 
acter of  the  words,  such  is  not  always  the  character  of  their 
offerer.  The  Pharisee  conceived  that  his  thanksgiving  must 
needs  of  itself  be  acceptable ;  but  we  are  informed  that  he 
went  down  to  his  house  not  accepted — "  not  justified  " — be- 
fore God.  His  gratitude  was  a  mere  natural  effusion  of 
selfish  satisfaction.  It  was  not  true  thankfulness.  Let  us 
beware  of  selfish  gratitude,  which  loves  the  gifts  more  thai? 
the  Giver;  which  congratulates  self  on  their  possession, 
more  sensitively  than  it  blesses  God  for  their  bestowment ; 
and  which  prizes  temporal  mercies  above  those  which  are 
spiritual  and  everlasting.  Natural  gratitude  may  also  lead 
us  further  than  mere  words;  it  may  constrain  us  to  do 
much,  and  to  give  largely.  Afler  some  great  experience  of 
blessing,  some  remarkable  deliverance  vouchsafed  ;  or  provi 
dential  mercv  bestowed,  we  mav  look  an'ound  us  for  an  altai 


80        CALL  TO  PERSONAL  GRATITUDE. 

already  erected,  or  at  much  cost  and  labor  we  may  construct 
one  for  ourselves,  whereon  to  offer  a  liberal  gift  unto  the 
Lord.  All  this  may  be  done  in  a  right  spirit,  and  will  be 
certainly  accepted  in  Christ,  when  it  is  truly  presented 
through  Him.  But  as  Scripture  informs  us  that  there  is  "  a 
repentance  that  needs  to  be  repented  of,"  so  we  must  de- 
clare that  there  is  also  a  thank-offering  that  needs  to  be 
agam  offered.  Cain  is  an  affecting  example  of  a  rejected 
thank-offerer.  The  eldest  son  of  Adam,  instructed  by  such 
a  parent,  must  needs  to  some  extent  have  been  sensible 
whence  his  mercies  flowed.  Grown  to  manhood,  and  reap- 
ing of  the  fruits  of  his  labor,  he  appears  to  have  been  the 
first  of  the  two  brothers  to  prepare  an  offering  unto  the 
Lord  :  "  And  in  process  of  time  it  came  to  pass  that  Cain 
brought  of  the  fruit  of  the  ground  an  offering  unto  the  Lord. 
And  Abel,  he  also  brought  of  the  firstlings  of  his  flock,  and 
of  the  fat  thereof  And  the  Lord  had  respect  unto  Abel  and 
to  his  offering.  But  unto  Cain  and  his  offering  He  had  not 
respect."  Gen.  iv.  3.  And  why  ? — Because  he  had  sinned 
even  in  his  thank-offering  !  The  Lord  informs  him  of  this 
by  the  interrogation,  "  If  thou  doest  well,  shalt  thou  not  be 
accepted  V  And  wherein  had  Cain  not  done  well  ? — Be- 
cause he  conceived  that  his  thanksgiving  must  be  in  and  of 
itself  acceptable  to  God.  Cain  presented  his  thank-offering 
without  a  sin-offering.  He  had  no  respect  to  an  atonement 
and  a  Mediator,  and  therefore  the  Lord  had  no  respect  to 
him  and  to  his  offering.  Let  us  take  warning  by  this  ex- 
ample. Let  us  not  substitute  a  natural,  for  a  spiritual, 
gratitude.     Let  our  praises  always  be  offered  through  Christ. 


CALL   TO   PERSONAL   GRATITUDE.  31 

"  All  things  are  by  the  law  purged  with  blood."  Our  grati- 
tude must  be  sanctified  on  the  altar  of  Christ.  The  flarae 
of  our  profession  may  be  bright,  but  it  must  also  be  pure. 
A  lamp  of  the  most  luminous  brilliancy  is  rejected  amongst 
men,  if  it  emit  an  offensive  odor.  Everything  is  offensive 
to  God,  that  comes  not  before  Him  perfumed  by  His  Son's 
merits.  Apart  from  these  merits,  every  oblation  is  vain  : 
"  Incense  is  an  abomination,  our  Sabbaths,"  and  "  appointed" 
festivals  of  thanksgiving,  "  God  hateth."  Isa.  i.  11-15.  Look, 
then,  continually  to  Christ.  By  Him,  and  by  Him  only, 
offer  the  sacrifice  of  praise.  Let  your  gratitude  be  kindled 
at  the  altar  of  Jesus  ;  then  will  it  never  be  rejected  by  God. 
The  light  thereof  will  "  extend"  to  Him,  as  well  as  to  your 
fellow-men  :  neither  by  the  clouds  of  adversity  shall  its  lus- 
tre be  dimmed,  nor  by  all  the  power  and  violence  of  Satan 
shall  its  flame  be  extinguished. 

Is  this  hallowed  fire,  let  us  seriously  ask,  burning  within 
our  breasts  1  Are  we  mindful  of  the  many,  nay  the  in- 
numerable mercies  of  our  God  towards  us  *?  Do  we  con- 
stantly acknowledge  that  we  owe  them  all  to  the  sacrifice 
of  Christ  ?  And  do  we  return  our  thanksgiving  only  through 
Him  as  our  Great  High  Priest  ?  Do  our  lives  testify  to 
the  purity  and  to  the  intensity  of  our  gratitude  1  And  d(j 
we  diligently  call  upon  our  souls,  all  that  is  within  us  to 
bless  and  praise  His  holy  name  1  Had  we  conferred  one- 
half  the  number  of  benefits  upon  a  fellow-creature,  which  the 
Lord  our  God  has  bestowed  upon  us,  we  should  feel  satis- 
fied with  that  small  amount  of  gratitude  which  .we  ourselves 
have  shown  to  the  Most  High  1     Assuredly  not.     Let  us, 


32        CALL  TO  PERSONAL  GRATITUDE. 

then,  like  David,  rouse  our  languid  affections.  Let  our 
souls,  and  all  that  is  within  us,  be  stirred  up  to  bless  our 
God  through  Jesus  Christ.  And  never,  oh  !  never,  may  we 
be  so  unjust,  so  criminal,  so  base,  as  to  forget  any  of  His 
benefits. 


II. 

%\t  l^rly^n  0f  Sin. 

Who  forgivetli  all  thine  iniquities. — Verse  3. 

Having  roused  his  soul  and  all  its  powers,  to  celebrate 
the  goodness  of  his  God,  the  Psalmist  proceeds  immediately 
to  set  before  it  many  signal  proofs  and  instances  of  that 
goodness.  His  grateful  mind  could  not  feel  satisfied  with 
general  expressions  of  thankfulness.  The  mercy  of  the 
Lord  had  exhibited  itself  in  special  acts  of  kindness  ;  David, 
therefore,  testifies  his  thankfulness  in  special  terms  of  ac- 
knowledgment. Anxious  that  not  a  single  blessing  should 
be  overlooked,  he  makes  up  a  list  and  catalogue  of  the  vari- 
ous benefits  which  he  had  received.  Delighting  to  expatiate 
on  the  loving-kindness  of  his  Saviour,  he  occupies  the  whole 
body  of  this  Psalm  with  a  glad  summary  of  the  tokens  of 
His  love.  From  the  beginning  of  the  third  verse,  and  on- 
ward to  the  end  of  the  nineteenth,  one  blessing  after  another 
is  specified.  He  rehearses  their  several  names  and  natures, 
that  he  may  the  more  readily  and  indelibly  impress  them 
upon  his  remembrance.  Thus  the  Psalmist  enjoys  his  mer- 
cies over  again  by  a  thankful  enumeration  of  tlieir  ex'^    • 

2* 


34  THE   PARDON   OF  SIN. 

lencies,  and  makes  himself  doubly  blessed  by  this  joyous  re- 
capitulation. 

The  first  benefit  for  which  David  calls  upon  his  soul  to 
bless  the  Lord,  is  the  "  forgiveness  of  sin."  Pardon  is  the 
blessing  which  the  son  of  Jesse  places  at  the  head  of  his  list 
as  the  greatest  of  all  the  mercies  which  he  had  received  from 
his  Kedeemer.  Such,  indeed,  it  is.  The  greatest  amount 
of  temporal  benefits  is  but  of  little  avail,  if  this  one  grace 
be  wanting.  What  are  health  and  wealth,  when  the  wrath 
of  God  abides  on  their  possessor  ?  What  are  honors  and 
the  pleasures  of  the  world,  when  the  poor  sinner  that  en- 
joys them  lives  and  dies  in  his  sins  ?  John  viii.  24.  But, 
on  the  contrary,  to  have  our  iniquities  forgiven — to  have  the 
great  debt  blotted  out  from  between  us  and  God — to  have 
the  full  remission  of  all  our  sins  in  the  blood  of  atonement ; 
this  is  happiness  indeed — this  is  the  foundation  and  the 
earnest  of  all  true  blessedness — it  is  the  soul's  sweet  fore- 
taste of  heavenly  bliss. 

David  had  bitterly  felt  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  sin. 
"  Mine  iniquities,"  he  says,  "  have  taken  hold  upon  me,  so 
that  I  am  not  able  to  look  up  :  they  are  more  than  the  haii's 
of  mine  head,  therefore  my  heart  faileth  me."  Psa.  xl.  12. 
These  were  not  hasty  expressions  of  inordinate  and  morbid 
sorrow  ;  they  were  the  deliberate  declarations  of  a  conscience 
enlightened  by  the  Word  and  Spirit  of  the  living  God.  It 
was  not  a  mere  article  of  knowledge,  and  of  bare  belief, 
to  David,  that  he  had  broken  the  holy  law  : — it  was  a  mat- 
ter of  painful,  self-abhorring  consciousness.  He  possessed 
not  only  a  conviction  of  the  guilt,  but  also  a  painful  sense 


THE    PARDON   OF   SIN.  35 

of  the  pollution,  of  sin,  and  he  therefore  loathed  himself  as 
unholy  and  defiled  in  the  sight  of  Infinite  Purity.  Job  ex- 
claimed, "  Behold  I  am  vile,"  ch.  xl.  4. ;  and  again,  "  I  ah- 
hor  myself,"  ch.  xlii.  6.  Isaiah  also  declared,  "  I  am  a  man 
of  unclean  lips."  Isa.  vi.  5.  And  again  the  same  holy 
prophet  testified,  "  We  are  all  as  an  unclean  thing,  and  all 
our  righteousnesses  are  as  filthy  rags."  Isa.  Ixiv.  6.  David, 
in  like  manner,  gives  frequent  utterance  to  his  soul's  deep 
sense  of  sin  ;  "  Have  mercy  upon  me,  O  Lord,  for  I  am  in 
trouble.  My  life  is  spent  with  grief,  and  my  years  with 
sighing :  my  strength  faileth  because  of  mine  iniquity,  and 
my  bones  are  consumed."  Psa.  xxxi.  9,  10.  And  again  he 
confesses,  "  There  is  no  soundness  in  my  flesh  because  of 
thine  anger  ;  neither  is  there  any  rest  in  my  bones  because 
of  my  sin.  For  mine  iniquities  are  gone  over  mine  head  : 
as  an  heavy  burden  they  are  too  heavy  for  me."  Psa.  xxxviii. 
3,4. 

Those  who  have  thus  most  bitterly  felt  the  guilt  and  the 
loathsomeness  of  sin,  will  be  most  ready  to  welcome  and  to 
celebrate  its  forgiveness.  So  does  David  in  this  Psaln^. 
He  had  felt  sorely  grieved  that  he  had  sinned,  and  now  he 
felt  truly  joyous  that  he  had  been  forgiven. 

Forgiveness  of  sin  is  one  of  the  Lord's  marvellous 
methods  to  turn  us  from  its  commission.  A  frank  and  un- 
expected pardon  makes  an  appeal  to  the  best  part  of  our  na- 
ture. The  generous  declaration  touches  us  to  the  quick  with 
a  deep  sense  of  our  transgression.  We  are  made  to  feel 
that  we  cannot  forgive  ourselves  for  having  offended  a  Lord 
so  gracious  and   so  forijiving.     This  principle  is  recognized 


B6  THE   PARDON  OF  SIN. 

by  the  Lord  Himself;  for  He  thus  describes  the  effect 
which  His  intended  mercy  to  Israel  shall  have  upon  their 
minds  in  the  latter  day  :  "  Tliat  thou  may  est  remember,  and 
be  confounded,  and  never  open  thy  mouth  any  more  be- 
cause of  thy  shame,  when  I  am  pacified  toward  thee  for  all 
that  thou  hast  done,  saith  the  Lord  God."  Ezek.  xvi.  63. 
"  Then  shall  ye  remember  your  own  evil  ways,  and  your 
doings  that  were  not  good,  and  shall  loathe  yourselves  in 
your  own  sight  for  your  iniquities  and  for  your  abomina- 
tions," Ezek.  xxxvi.  3L 

David  understood  this  principle,  and  felt  its  power : 
"There  is  forgiveness,"  he  says,  "with  Thee,  that  Thou 
mayest  be  feared."  Psa.  cxxx.  4.  In  this  Psalm  he  grate- 
fully acknowledges  that  forgiveness,  and  exhibits  the  rev- 
erential "  fear"  and  love,  with  which  it  had  inspired  him. 
"  Being  forgiven  much,  he  loved  much,"  and  therefore  he 
hastens  to  celebrate  the  pardoning  mercy  of  his  Redeemer-, 
with  the  earliest  note  of  his  awakened  lyre. 

Oh  what  a  change  !  to  pass  from  the  gloom  of  guilt  into 
the  sunshine  of  the  Divine  favor — to  be  delivered  from  the 
convictions  and  the  forebodings  of  conscience,  and  to  be  in- 
troduced into  the  liberty  and  the  peace  of  acceptance  with 
God — to  have  the  gnawings  of  remorse  done  away,  the 
burden  of  sin  removed,  the  fear  of  death  dispelled,  Heb.  ii. 
15,  and  the  dread  of  judgment  dissipated,  1  John  iv.  17. 
Well  might  David,  and  every  believer  who  partakes  with 
him  of  the  same  blessed  faith,  burst  forth  in  the  joyous 
thanksgiving  of  this  Psalm,  and  say,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my 
soul :    and  all   that   is  within   me  bless  His  Holy  name. 


THE   PARDON  OF  SIX.  37 

Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  His  benefits  : 
who  forgiveth  all  thme  iniquities." 

The  knowledge  of  forgiveness  is  regarded  by  many  as 
one  of  the  most  exalted  and  remote  attainments  of  religious 
experience.  Not  clearly  understanding  the  Divine  method 
.of  forgiveness,  and  hindered  by  what  they  conceive  to  be  a 
becoming  humility,  they  say,  "  Such  a  state  can  never  bo 
ours  in  this  life.  It  is  high ;  we  cannot  attain  unto  it." 
But  did  they  rightly  understand  salvation  by  Suretyship,  as 
revealed  from  heaven,  they  would  perceive  that  pardon  is 
not  directly  a  matter  of  religious  experience,  but  of  re 
ligious  faith.  Pardon  is  not  a  state  to  which  the  believ^er 
raises  himself  by  a  long  and  holy  course, — it  is  an  act  of 
God's  free  mercy  and  grace  in  Christ  Jesus.  A  full  and 
free  forgiveness  is  granted  unto  us  the  moment  that  we  be- 
lieve in  Jesus.  Even  the  "  little  children,"  to  whom  St. 
John  writes  in  his  first  epistle,  enjoyed  this  blessing  from 
the  commencement  of  their  Christian  course,  1  John  ii.  12. 
All  other  Christians  are  equally  welcome  with  these  youth- 
ful believers,  and  with  the  Psalmist  before  us,  to  the  imme- 
diate enjoyment  of  this  privilege. 

The  forgiveness  of  sin  flows  from  the  death  and  sacrifice 
of  the  Son  of  God,  as  our  Surety  :  "  It  is  the  blood  that 
maketh  an  atonement  for  the  soul,"  Lev.  xvii.  11  ;  and, 
"  without  shedding  of  blood  there  is  no  remission"  of  sins, 
Heb.  ix.  22.  The  Psalmist  was  well  acquainted  with  this 
law.  He  had  learned  it  in  his  childhood,  he  had  obeyed  it 
in  his  manhood,  and  he  had  constantly  believed  that  the 
blood  he  offered  in  sacrifice  was  doubly  typical,  first  of  his 


38  THE   PARDON   OF   SIN. 

own  blood  as  a  sinner,  and  secondly,  of  the  blood  of  the 
Great  Redeemer  as  his  Surety.  "  The  Gospel  before  was 
preached  unto  Abraham,"  Gal.  iii.  8  :  and  not  unto  him 
only,  but  unto  David  also  ;  yea,  to  Abel  and  to  all  believers 
from  the  beginning  of  the  world.  They  received  the  forgive- 
ness of  their  sins  from  the  very  same  source  that  we  receive 
it,  that  is,  through  the  shedding  of  the  blood  of  Jesus.  "  It 
is  not  possible,"  says  the  Apostle,  "  that  the  blood  of  bulls 
and  of  goats  should  take  away  sins."  Heb.  x.  4.  This  truth 
David  fully  understood ;  and  at  that  very  moment  of  his 
life,  when,  more  than  at  any  other  period,  he  would  have 
been  ready  to  double  his  sacrifices,  if  necessary,  and  to  give 
or  to  suffer  anything  by  which  he  might  obtain  forgiveness, 
he  deliberately  places  on  record  this  most  remarkable  state 
ment  (so  apparently  contradictory  and  heretical  for  a  Jew 
to  utter),  "  For  Thou  desirest  not  sacrifice,  else  would  I  give 
it:  Thou  delightest  not  in  burnt-offering."  Psa.  li.  16. 
David,  therefore,  with  other  true  believers,  discarded  all 
reliance  for  forgiveness  on  mere  material  sacrifices  ;  and 
Christ  Jesus  was  to  him,  and  to  them,  as  He  is  to  us,  the 
alone  spiritual  and  acceptable  sacrifice  on  w^hich  are  fixed  the 
eyes  and  the  hopes  of  God's  people,  from  the  beginning  to 
the  end  of  time  :  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh 
away  the  sins  of  the  world."  John,  i.  29. 

The  "  taking  away  of  the  sin  of  the  world,"  signifies  its 
removal  out  of  every  sinner's  way  in  returning  to  his  God. 
Sin  had  excluded  us  all  from  the  Divine  presence.  The 
only  light  that  met  the  sinner's  eye,  searchmg  for  an  escape 
from  death,  was  the  ^leam   of  thot  "  flaming  sword  which 


THE    PARDON   OF   SIN.  39 

turned  every  way,  to  keep  the  way  of  the  tree  of  life."  Gen. 
iii.  24.  The  only  law  which  meets  the  sinner's  case  is  that 
unchangeable  enactment,  "In  the  day  thou  eatest  thereof 
thou  shalt  surely  die."  Gen.  ii.  17.  The  sinner's  penitence 
and  tears,  his  prayers,  and  his  professions  of  amendment, 
can  make  no  alteration  of  this  condemning  law.  Its  awful 
sound  falls  still  upon  his  ear,  "  In  the  day  thou  eatest  thereof 
thou  shalt  surely  die  !" 

But  lo !  salvation  by  Suretyship  is  revealed.  Tlie  Son 
of  God  comes  down  to  bear  the  sinner's  curse.  He  places 
Himself  in  the  sinner's  stead,  and  suffers  for  him  the  penalty 
of  death  :  "  He  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions.  He  was 
bruised  for  our  iniquities  :  the  chastisement  of  our  peace 
was  upon  Him  ;  and  with  His  stripes  we  are  healed."  Isa. 
liii.  5  ;  "  All  we  like  sheep  have  gone  astray,  we  have  turned 
every  one  to  his  own  way ;  and  the  Lord  hath  laid  on  Him 
the  iniquity  of  us  all."  Isa.  liii.  6. 

Behold  the  Lord's  amazing  method  of  forgiveness.  Sin 
is  "  taken  away,"  by  being  "  laid  upon"  the  Surety's  head. 
No  more  offering  for  sin  is  to  be  made  thenceforward  for- 
ever :  and  we  are  all  commanded  to  draw  near  by  the  new 
and  living  way  which  is  thus  opened  for  us  into  the  presence 
of  God  by  the  blood  of  Jesus.  Heb.  x.  19. 

The  offended  Lawgiver  has  graciously  given  His  own  Son 
to  be  an  able,  willing,  and  all- sufficient  Surety, — that  Surety 
has  already  suffered  and  died  in  our  stead,  and  our  sins  ai-e 
already  atoned  for  by  His  blood  :  to  reject  that  gift,  and  to 
dishonor  this  Saviour's  work,  by  our  unbelief,  is  to  commit 
the  greatest  crime,  and  to  ensure  our  own  condemnation. 


40  THE   PARDON   OF  SIN. 

John  iii.  19,  and  cause  us  to  die  in  our  sins.  John  viii.  24. 
But  he  that  believes  in  this  Saviour  passes  from  condemna- 
tion to  acquittal,  from  death  to  life,  obtains  a  full  and  free 
forgiveness,  so  that  he  shall  neither  live,  nor  die,  nor  rise 
again  in  his  sins.  Unspeakable  and  undeserved  as  is  so 
great  a  blessing,  the  fact  is  certain,  the  truth  is  undisputable. 
Not  one,  not  two,  but  "  all  the  prophets  give  witness"  to 
this  joy-inspiring  doctrine  that  "  whosoever  believeth  in 
Jesus  shall  receive  remission  of  sins."  Acts  x.  43. 

When  in  human  affairs  a  surety  has  stood  in  our  place, 
has  obeyed  every  law  in  our  name,  has  suffered  every  pen- 
alty in  our  behalf,  and  has  paid  every  debt  in  our  stead,  not 
to  believe  in  him  and  rely  on  what  he  has  done,  is  to  reject 
and  disown  his  representative  character,  is  to  repudiate  his 
obedience,  to  despise  his  sufferings,  to  dishonor  his  payment, 
to  aimul  his  suretyship  work,  and  to  cast  from  us  all  th& 
benefits  he  has  acquired.  To  refuse  to  believe  in  Jesus  as 
the  author  and  the  finisher  of  our  salvation,  is  virtually  to 
assert  that  we  put  Him  aside  as  a  Surety,  from  between  our 
souls  and  God,  in  order  that  we  may  stand  in  our  own 
name,  and  in  our  place,  before  the  bar  of  the  Almighty  to 
undergo  every  penalty  in  our  own  persons,  and  to  pay 
every  debt  out  of  our  own  resources.  It  is  to  trample  under 
foot  the  Son  of  God,  and  to  count  the  blood  of  the  covenant 
an  unholy  thing,  and  to  do  despite  unto  the  Spirit  of  Grace. 
Heb.  X.  29.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  to  believe  in  Jesus,  is 
to  acknowledge  His  representative  character,  is  to  accept 
His  obedience,  to  honor  His  sufferings,  to  accredit  His  pay- 
ment, to  ratify  His  suretyship  v/ork,  and  to  appropriate  to 


THE   PARDON  OF  SIN.  41 

ourselves  all  the  benefits  He  has  secured.  There  is  not  a 
single  prophet,  apostle,  or  evangelist,  that  insinuates  9,  douLt 
on  this  important  subject.  Where  is  the  text  to  be  found, 
in  the  whole  compass  of  the  word  of  God,  which  declares 
that  though  a  sinner  believe  in  Jesus,  his  iniquity  shall  not 
be  forgiven  1  No.  Never  can  it  be.  If  we  believe  not, 
yet  He  abideth  faithful  to  the  threatening.  God  cannot 
deny  Himself,  2  Tim.  ii,  13.  If  also  we  believe.  He  abideth 
faithfiil  to  the  promise.  God  cannot  deny  Himself.  He 
that  believeth  shall  be  saved.  He  that  believeth  not  shall 
be  condemned,  Mark  xvi.  16.  The  covenant  in  Christ  is 
ordered  in  all  things  and  sure,  2  Sam.  xxiii.  5.  He  is  the 
Surety  of  this  covenant — this  "  better  covenant" — this  best 
of  covenants,  Heb.  vii.  22  ;  viii.  6.  His  own  declaration  is, 
"  Him  that  cometh  to  Me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out."  John 
vi.  37. 

It  is  in  continually  thus  "  coming  to  God  through  Christ," 
that  our  safety  consists.  It  is  in  continually  believing  and 
confessing,  that  we  obtain  continual  remission.  Virtue  flows 
from  Christ,  whenever,  with  the  hand  of  believing  prayer, 
the  true  penitent  touches  but  the  hem  of  His  garment. 
David  expresses  this  truth  by  the  use  of  the  present  tense, 
"  who  forgiveth  all  thine  iniquities."  God  forgives  as  man 
confesses.  We  are  thus  kept  near  to  God  in  Christ,  by 
receiving  present  supplies  according  to  our  present  circum- 
stances. There  is  no  stock  of  grace  given  to  be  enjoyed  at 
a  distance  from  the  Giver.  The  sins  of  to-day  are  not  par- 
doned by  the  grace  of  yesterday.  The  sweet  communion 
we  then  enjoyed  is  no  atonement  for  our  present  coldness 


42  THE   PARDON  OF  SIN. 

and  alienation  of  heart.  We  must  go  with  these  to  Jesus  the 
instant  that  we  feel  them.  No  sins  are  pardoned  till  they 
are  confessed  to  Him.  And  no  sin  is  confessed  to  Him  that 
is  not  freely  pardoned  for  His  sake.  "  Let  God  be  true 
and  every  man  a  liar"  who  negatives  the  promises  of  the 
Lord,  or  who  questions  His  readiness  to  forgive  according 
as  He  hath  said.  Through  the  abundant  righteousness  of 
the  Surety,  God  "  multiplies  to  pardon."  David  believed 
firmly  in  that  blessed  Surety,  and  therefore  unhesitatingly 
testifies  to  his  soul,  "  He  forgiveth  all  thine  iniquities." 

Understand,  then,  oh  Christian  !  the  gospel  of  suretyship 
clearly,  that  thou  mayst  give  thanks  joyfully.  God  the 
Father  has  laid  all  thy  sins  upon  His  own  Son  as  thy  surety. 
Isa.  liii.  6.  And  He  is  now,  therefore,  not  imputing  them 
to  thee  as  a  cause  of  exclusion  from  His  presence.  2  Cor.  v. 
19.  Believe  in  Jesus  as  the  Surety  who  has  procured  these 
two  great  blessings  for  thee,  and  so  draw  near,  just  as  you 
are,  to  this  gracious  God,  as  in  Him  thy  reconciling  and  for- 
giving Father.  Oh !  glorious  and  everlasting  Gospel, — 
how  simple  is  thy  message, — how  efficacious  is  thy  devised 
suretyship, — how  direct  and  immediate  is  the  believer's 
entrance  into  the  joy  of  forgiveness. 

Such  was  the  position  of  David  in  the  Psalm  before  us. 
Jehovah  appointed  the  blood  of  atonement  for  the  remission 
of  sins,  and  David  simply  believed  what  his  Lord  declared. 
With  every  sin  that  he  committed  he  drew  near  to  the 
atoning  blood,  he  offered  sacrifice,  and  he  returned  persuaded 
that  he  was  forgiven. 

That  sacrifice  was  typical  of  the  blood  of  Christ ;  let 


THE   PARDOX   OF   SIN.  48 

David's  obedience,  and  David's  faith,  be  also  typical  of 
thine,  oh  Christian  !  God  has  announced  to  thee  this  gra- 
cious truth,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  is  the  Surety  on  whose 
head  He  has  laid  thy  sins.  It  is  thy  duty  to  believe  simply 
as  David  did,  what  thy  Lord  has  plainly  declared ;  and 
when  any  sin  that  thou  hast  sinned  comes  upon  thy  con- 
science, then  immediately  in  secret  prayer  draw  near  with 
thy  sin-offering,  that  is  with  Christ  Jesus,  the  Lamb  of  God, 
in  thy  hand  of  faith,  confess  over  Him  that  iniquity,  believe 
in  thine  heart  that  God  laid  it  on  His  head  as  thy  Surety, 
and  return  from  the  throne  of  grace  persuaded  that  for  His 
sake  thine  iniquity  is  forgiven  thee.  Compare  Lev.  iv.  28 
and  xvi.  21. 

"  Coming  to  Christ"  and  "  believing  on  Him,"  "  trusting 
in  Christ,"  and  "  fleeing  to  Him  for  refuge,"  "  eating  Christ's 
flesh"  and  "  drinking  Christ's  blood,"  with  other  similar 
forms  of  expression  in  Holy  Scripture,  are  designed  to  de- 
note that  one  grand  act  of  faith  by  which  the  poor  sinner,  the 
bankrupt  debtor,  "  receives  the  atonement,"  Eom.  v.  11; 
that  is,  accepts  and  ratifies  what  his  Surety  has  accomplished 
in  his  name.  There  must  be  an  open  consent  and  agree- 
ment on  the  part  of  the  debtor,  as  well  as  on  that  of  the 
Creditor  and  of  the  Surety,  before  the  reconciliation  can  be 
completed.  Reader,  thou  art  the  poor  debtor  for  whom  the 
Divine  Surety  has  already  paid,  and  the  Divine  Creditor  has 
already  accepted  a  full  and  matchless  ranson.  And  now 
thou  art  called  to  be  at  one  with  Them,  in  that  which  They 
have  done  on  thy  behalf  Hear  thy  God  Himself  beseech- 
ing thee  to  be  reconciled  to  Him,  and  assigning  this  as  the 


44  THE   PARDON  OF  SIN. 

mighty  reason,  for  He  hath  made  Him,  who  knew  no  sin,  to 
be  sin  for  thee.  2  Cor.  v.  21.  If  thou  hast  confessed  thy 
transgressions  over  thy  Saviour's  head,  if  thou  art  thus  daily 
laying  there  every  sin  that  rises  on  thy  conscience,  then  by 
all  that  is  true  and  faithful  in  the  promises  of  God,  be  en 
treated  to  believe  with  an  undoubting  mind  that  they  are  all 
forgiven  thee  in  Christ.  The  declaration  of  the  Scripture  is 
express  and  positive, — Whoso  confesseth  and  forsaketh  his 
sins  shall  have  mercy.  Pro  v.  xxviii.  13.  See  also  1  John 
1.7. 

Enter,  then,  with  David  by  faith  into  the  joy  and  grati- 
tude which  he  here  expresses.  Give  God  thanks  for  the  for- 
giveness of  thy  sins  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  Say  often 
within  thyself,  "  I  never  can  sufficiently  praise  Him  for  such 
an  inestimable  benefit."  Hasten  therefore  to  stir  up  thy 
soul  and  all  that  is  within  thee  to  endless  and  unceasing 
gratitude.  Be  perpetually  praising  God.  Being  forgiven 
much,  love  much  ;  serve  much ;  praise  much.  Bear  the 
sanctifying  knowledge  of  thy  forgiveness  about  in  thy  heart 
continually.  Keep  it  as  thy  companion-thought  for  all  sea- 
sons and  situations  of  thy  life.  Let  it  lighten  thy  gloom  in 
adversity,  and  elevate  thy  soul  above  the  seductions  of  pros- 
perity. Let  the  remembrance  of  thy  forgiveness  be  a  joy- 
ous bond  uniting  thee  to  God  and  to  thy  fellows — to  the 
One  in  all  gratitude  and  obedience,  and  to  the  other  in  all 
readiness  and  cordiality  of  forgiveness.  Let  this  blessed 
truth,  that  in  Christ  thou  hast  redemption  through  His 
blood,  even  the  forgiveness  of  sins.  Col.  i.  14,  gladden  thy 
going  out  and  thy  coming  in.    Let  it  cheer  thy  rising  up  and 


THE   PARDON   OF   SIN.  45 

thy  sitting  down.  Let  it  be  the  last  thing  in  thy  thoughts 
every  night,  and  the  first  thing  in  thy  grateful  recollections 
every  morning,  to  say  with  David  from  thy  very  heart, 
"  Bless  the  Lord,  oh  my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me  bless 
His  holy  name.  Bless  the  Lord,  oh  my  soul,  and  forget 
not  all  His  benefits,  who  forgiveth  all  thine  iniquities." 


III. 

%\t  Inling   at  ^inut. 

Who  healeth.  all  thy  diseases, — Verse  3. 

Man  is  twice  diseased,  and  the  God-man  alone  possesses 
the  double  cure.  Could  our  two  natures,  the  flesh  and  the 
spirit,  speak  individually  for  themselves,  they  would  each 
testify,  "  There  is  no  health  in  me."  Medical  science,  with 
its  long  catalogue  of  diseases,  bears  testimony  alike  to  the 
multiplied  and  to  the  multiform  maladies  to  which  our  flesh 
is  heir.  The  revelations  of  Scripture,  the  records  of  history, 
and  the  experiences  of  all  men,  attest  the  presence  and  the 
power  of  unnumbered  maladies  also  in  the  human  spirit. 
The  world  in  which  we  live  is  a  vast  hospital  of  distempered 
patients  ;  and  when  the  Good  Physician  came  to  visit  it.  He 
put  forth  His  power  to  heal  alike  the  sick  and  the  sinner. 

The  restoration  of  the  body  is  a  simple  act  of  omnipotence ; 
the  restoration  of  the  spirit  implies  a  twofold  exercise  of  the 
Divine  prerogative.  The  soul  requires  pardon  for  the  past 
committed  sin,  and  purgation  for  the  remaining  inward  cor- 
ruption. There  is  no  guilt  in  sickness,  neither  also  is  there 
any  merit.     Disease  is  not  disobedience.     On  the  contrary, 


THE   HEALI^'G   OF   DISEASE.  47 

it  is  the  working  out  of  God's  righteous  law  of  chastening. 
In  bodily  disease  man  is  passive  and  reluctant.  In  spiritual 
disease  man  is  an  active  and  a  willing  agent.  In  the  former 
he  naturally  and  cordially  hates  his  sickness.  In  the  latter 
he  naturally  and  cordially  loves  it.  A  fever  makes  no  man 
a  destroyer  of  the  law,  but  a  corrupt  desire  entertained  in 
the  breast  constitutes  him  a  wilful  transgressor  of  the  com- 
mandment. To  emancipate  the  sinner  fi-om  the  position  in 
which  a  single  sin  has  placed  him,  he  must  be  both  acquitted 
from  condemnation,  and  rendered  free  from  pollution.  These 
two  blessings  are  vested  solely  in  the  God-man.  He  dis- 
penses them  as  He  pleases.  By  pardon  He  imparts  health 
to  the  conscience  of  the  sinner,  and  by  sanctification  He  in- 
fuses health  into  his  affections.  Pardon  and  purity  are  the 
medicines  of  the  Gospel.  They  are  the  freely-proclaimed 
and  the  inseparably-united  blessings  of  the  Good  Physician. 
The  word  of  God  comforts  every  penitent  with  the  assur- 
ance of  this  twofold  blessing.  "  If  we  confess  our  sins," 
says  St.  John,  (first)  "  God  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive  us 
our  sins,  and"  (second)  "  to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteous- 
ness." Here  the  apostle  includes  himself.  He  says  not  "  If 
you,"  but  "  If  we,"  classing  himself  with  his  readers,  show- 
ing them  that  he  too  felt  his  doubly-diseased  state,  that  he 
too  needed  forgiveness  and  cleansing,  and  that  he  too  had 
recourse  to  confession,  coming  daily  as  a  sinner  to  the  throne 
of  grace  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  to  obtain  pardon  for  the  past, 
and  grace  to  help  for  the  future.  Observe  the  high  and 
amazing  argument  which  the  apostle  uses  to  prove  this  de- 
lightful and  all-important  truth.     He  does  not  say,  as  we 


48  THE   HEALING  OF  DISEASE. 

should  have  expected,  God  is  merciful  and  gracious  to  for- 
give, but,  "  God  is  faithful  and  just  to  forgive"  ;  by  which 
he  teaches  us  that  those  very  attributes,  which,  before  our 
confession  of  sin,  were  directly  against  us,  are  thereupon  di- 
rectly for  us.  To  whom,  then,  is  God  faithful  and  just  1 
We  answer  :  First,  to  Himself,  to  His  own  promise,  and  to 
His  own  oath ;  those  "  two  immutable  things  in  which  it 
was  impossible  for  God  to  lie."  Heb.  vi.  18.  Secondly,  He 
is  faithful  and  just  to  His  own  Son,  who  came  into  our  na- 
ture to  fulfil  the  righteousness  of  the  law,  and  to  die  under 
its  penalty,  that  as  the  perfectly  righteous  Man  He  might 
enter  into  covenant  with  God,  and  obtain  a  right  to  all  the 
blessings  which  God  would  have  bestowed  upon  unfallen 
man.  It  would  be  unjust,  therefore,  to  Christ,  to  withhold 
any  blessing  asked  in  His  name.  He  himself  said  to  His 
disciples,  "  Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  the  Father  in  my  name, 
He  will  give  it  you."  John  xvi.  23.  Thirdly,  He  is  faithful 
and  just  to  His  believing  j^eople  who  come  to  Him  through 
Christ,  with  penitence  and  j^rayer.  They  rely  on  God. 
They  confess  their  sins,  expecting  His  forgiveness  ;  and  Ho 
will  never  dishonor  their  confidence  :  "  Whoso  trusteth  in 
the  Lord,  mercy  shall  compass  him  about."  God  will  not 
disappoint  the  hope  -that  is  truly  fixed  on  Him. 

Mark  again,  that  St.  John  assures  himself,  and  all  be- 
lievers, of  both  blessings  equally.  Where  God  vouchsafes 
forgiveness,-  He  bestows  sanctification.  The  former  is  a  mean 
to  the  latter.  The  one  without  the  other  would  be  incom- 
plete, unavailing,  and  impossible.  And  it  may  be  because 
so  many  desire  the  former  more  earnestly  than  the  latter, 


THE   HEALING   OF   DISEASE.  49 

that  God  withholds  even  both  from  their  sensible  enjoyment. 
How  many  professing  Christians  do  we  hear  declaring  "  I 
cannot  say  that  my  sins  are  forgiven  ;  if  I  only  knew  that, 
I  should  indeed  be  happy."  Yet  it  is  too  evident,  from  their 
life  and  conversation,  that  they  are  not  equally  anxious  to 
obtain  the  greater  blessing — purity  of  heart.  Instead  of 
"  cleansing  themselves  from  all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  of 
the  spirit,  perfecting  holiness  in  the  fear  of  God,"  they  in- 
dulge in  the  follies  and  gaieties  of  a  "  world  which  lieth  in 
wickedness."  Such  persons  do,  indeed,  desire  to  be  saved 
from  the  punishment  of  sin,  but  not  from  sin  itself  as  their 
greatest  punishment.  It  is  safety,  and  not  sanctification, 
which  is  uppermost  in  their  thoughts.  It  is  pardon,  and  not 
purity,  which  they  mainly  seek.  It  is  deliverance  from 
hell,  not  meetness  for  heaven,  which  they  are  most  anxious 
to  obtain.  If  there  be  no  real  penitence  and  confession  to- 
ward God  in  the  heart  of  such  persons,  we  must  declare  that 
from  Him  there  is  neither  forgiveness  nor  cleansing  granted 
toward  them. 

When,  however,  the  eye  is  spiritually  opened  to  discern 
the  disease  within,  to  look  into  the  hidden  workings  of  the 
breast,  and  to  behold  corruption  festering  in  every  part ;  the 
whole  inner  man  one  mass  of  disease,  from  the  sole  of  the 
foot  even  unto  the  crown  of  the  head,  "  no  soundness  in  it, 
but  wounds,  and  bruises,  and  putrifying  sores,"  Isa.  i.  6  ;  it 
is  then  that  we  confess,  like  the  apostle,  "  I  know  that  in 
me,  that  is  in  my  flesh  (my  fallen  nature)  dwelleth  no  good 
thing,"  Rom  vii.  18;  it  is  then  that  we  cry,  "Heal  me,  O 
Lord,  and  I  shall  be  healed ;"  "  Create  in  me  a  clean  heart? 

3 


50  THE   HEALING   OF   DISEASE. 

O  God,  and  renew  a  right  spirit  within  me  :  then  it  is  that 
we  look  upon  hell  as  our  just  desert,  and  regard  deliverance 
from  its  burning  flames  as  a  far  inferior  thing  to  deliverance 
from  the  burning  hell  within  our  own  breasts.  Oh,  it  is  then 
that  we  long  for  victory  over  our  besetting  sins,  for  freedom 
from  our  enslaving  passions,  for  sanctification  from  our  pol- 
luting lusts,  for  superiority  to  our  continually  recurring  in- 
firmities. It  is  then  that  we  sigh  for  purity  of  heart,  for 
conformity  to  God,  for  renewing  after  Christ's  image,  for  the 
full  and  continual  in-dwelling  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Then  it 
is  that  we  "  abhor"  ourselves,  and  say,  "  Behold  I  am  vile." 
Then  it  is  that  we  "  would  not  live  alway,"  that  we  long  to 
be  "  absent  from  the  body,  and  to  be  present  with  the  Lord," 
and  that  we  earnestly  "  look  for  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  from 
heaven,  to  change  our  vile  body,  and  make  it  like  unto  His 
own  glorious  body." 

Blessed  be  God,  this  is  also  His  own  desire  respecting  us. 
It  forms  His  first,  and  last,  and  strongest  desire.  Again  and 
again  does  He  say,  "  Be  ye  holy,  for  I  am  holy."  His  own 
spirit,  also,  conveys  this  desire  from  the  heart  of  God  into 
the  hearts  of  all  His  children.  David  was  His  child  ;  and, 
therefore,  we  here  see  that  he  is  taught  to  congratulate  his 
soul  not  only  that  God  "  forgiveth  all  its  iniquities,"  but  also 
that  He  "  healeth  all  its  diseases." 

The  diseases  of  the  soul  are  far  more  deadly  than  the 
diseases  of  the  body.  Murmuring,  stubbornness,  and  self- 
will,  are  as  opposed  to  spiritual  peace,  as  the  most  virulent 
distempers  are  to  bodily  repose.  God  in  Christ  is  the  alone 
healer  of  both  soul  and  body.     And  infinitely  does  the  health 


THE   HEALING   OF   DISEASE.  61 

of  the  former  exceed  that  of  the  latter  in  desirableness.  Ho- 
liness is  spiritual  health.  Cry,  therefore,  earnestly  to  ob- 
tain it.  Prayer  here  cannot  possibly  be  mistaken.  No  im- 
portunity after  holiness  can  ever  be  displeasing  to  the  holy 
God.  Conformity  to  the  likeness  of  Christ  Jesus,  is  the 
standard  of  spiritual  health.  He  was  always  thankful.  Pray 
to  be  like  Him,  and  to  be  altogether  cured  of  ingratitude. 
Discontent  is  a  mental  cancer,  and  eats  into  the  very  vitals 
of  the  spiritual  man.  Its  roots  spread  wide  and  deep.  They 
carry  death  wherever  they  advance.  Pray,  therefore,  to  be 
healed.  Bring  every  disease  of  thy  soul  to  this  Great  Phy- 
sician in  earnest  prayer.  A  sick  man  must  not  conceal  any 
of  his  symptoms.  Confess  all  the  pains  and  maladies  of  thy 
soul  to  Christ.  Unbosom  to  Him  without  reserve  thy  hid- 
den failings.  Lay  bare  thy  sins,  thy  tempers,  thy  backslid- 
ings,  thy  coldness  and  waywardness,  thy  pride  and  worldli- 
ness.  Keep  nothing  back.  Tell  all  to  the  Good  Physician, 
and  He  will  cure  thee.  Thy  poor,  sin-sick  soul  shall  be 
made  strong.  Thy  spiritual  diseases  shall  be  healed. 
Health  and  thankfulness  will  spring  up  together  within  thy 
breast. 

David,  in  this  Psalm,  as  elsewhere  in  other  Psalmp,  uses 
the  term  "  soul,"  as  expressive  of  the  entire  man.  And  in 
this  verse  he  is  not  to  be  considered  as  exclusively  referring 
to  spiritual  healing.  That  gracious  Lord  who  cares  for  the 
soul,  cares  also  for  the  body  of  man.  Jesus,  when  here  be- 
low, not  only  forgave  sin,  but  likewise  healed  disease.  He 
had  compassion  on  both  soul  and  body.  David  believed 
God  to  be,  in  both,  his  good  Physician.     In  another  Psalm 


52  THE   HKALING   OF   DISEASE. 

lie  says,  "  He  is  the  health  of  my  countenance,  and  my  God." 
And  in  this  verse  we  are  to  consider  him  as  offering  special 
thanks,  also,  for  the  healing  of  his  bodily  diseases. 

The  Psalmist,  on  several  occasions,  had  experienced  severe 
attacks  of  sickness.  His  wonted  health  had  fled.  His 
strength  had  waxed  feeble,  and  his  fair  and  manly  frame  had 
pined  under  disease  ;  but  now  he  was  enabled  to  testify  that 
the  Lord  had  healed  him.  And  whether  the  deliverance 
were  granted  at  a  former  or  at  a  more  recent  date,  he  is  de- 
termmed  to  retain  it  continually  in  the  most  grateful  re- 
membrance. 

Recovery  from  sickness  is  a  joyful  cause  for  thanksgiving. 
We  arise,  as  it  were,  to  a  new  life.  The  couch  had  seemed 
to  be  the  shadow  of  the  tomb.  Dissolution  appeared  to 
have  begun  its  gradual  work.  But  it  may  be,  that  in  the 
very  hour  of  greatest  apprehension,  the  Lord  manifests  His 
compassion.  At  the  momentous  crisis  He  speaks  the  word 
"  be  still,"  and  the  raging  fever  becomes  a  "  great  calm  ;" 
the  sleepless  eye-balls  close  in  gentle  slumber,  and  the  peace- 
ful countenance  indicates  that  the  first  process  in  recovery 
has  commenced.  How  fervently  do  we  congratulate  the 
anxious  relatives,  the  friendly  physician,  and  the  watchful 
attendants,  on  the  auspicious  change.  But  more  deep  and 
holy  is  the  emotion  with  which  the  devout  believer  looks  up- 
wards and  says,  "  I  thank  Thee,  oh  my  God  !  for  thfs  deliv- 
erance." 

If  there  be  one  truth  more  plain  and  indisputable  than 
another,  it  is  this,  that  the  Lord  is  the  great  healer  of  disease. 
Never,  amidst  human  efforts  and  instrumentalities,  never  let 


THE   HRALIXG   OF   DISEASE.  63 

US  lose  sight  of  His  gracious  and  over-ruling  nand  :  "  The 
help  that  is  done  upon  earth,  He  doeth  it  Himself."  Ascribe 
not  your  recovery  to  the  potency  of  this  remedy,  the  suita- 
bility of  that  medicine,  or  to  the  skill  and  the  care  of  your 
kind  and  experienced  physician.  Give  not  the  honor  of  your 
restoration  to  their  varied  and  united  influences ;  nor  to 
some  happy  combination  of  circumstances  ;  nor  yet  to  your 
own  care  and  prudence.  Ascribe  it  entirely  to  the  kindness 
and  the  care  of  your  heavenly  Fathei',  who  has  condescend- 
ed to  use  some,  or  all,  of  these,  as  successful  instruments  in 
His  own  healing  hand. 

When  a  friend  sends  you  a  present  from  a  far  country,  by 
the  hand  of  his  servant,  it  is  to  the  friend  that  your  grati- 
tude is  due,  and  not  to  his  messenger.  Doubtless  you  will 
acknowledge  the  care  which  the  latter  has  displayed  to  bring 
that  present,  into  your  possession ;  but  you  will  never  for  a 
moment  lose  sight  of  your  friend  amid  these  just  encomi- 
ums upon  his  servant.  God  is  this  Friend,  and  all  earthly 
medicines,  circumstances,  and  physicians,  are  his  servants, 
by  whom  he  conveys  to  you  His  ow^n  precious  gift  of  re- 
stored health.  Your  acknowledgments  and  your  thanks  are 
not  the  less  justly  due  to  the  means  and  to  the  instruments. 
Give  each  of  these  the  full  credit  that  belongs  to  them  in 
their  proper  place,  and  in  their  just  measure ;  but  ever  re- 
member that  the  first  place  of  praise,  the  highest  measure 
of  acknowledgment,  belongs  to  Him  who  has  blessed  them 
to  your  benefit.  Give  God  the  glory,  therefore,  as  David 
does.  Stop  not  short  at  second  causes.  Rise  not  from  thy 
sick  bed  with  a  mere  worldling's  gratitude.     Act  not  the  in- 


54  THE   HEALING    OF   DISEASE. 

fidel  or  the  atheist,  excluding  an  omnipresent  God  from  the 
circle  of  thy  acknowledgments.  Remember  that  men  and 
things  are  nothing  to  thee  but  what  God  pleases  to  make 
them.  See,  then.  His  hand  in  them  all.  Recognize  Him  in 
their  operations, — acknowledge  Him  in  their  successes.  God 
is  the  God  of.  means.     He  acts  by  human  instrumentalities. 

Most  interesting  and  instructive  is  it  to  observe  how  the 
Lord,  by  this  gracious  arrangement,  binds  men  together  in 
society,  and  causes  them  too  feel  their  mutual  dependence, 
by  making  them,  in  His  providence,  mutual  benefactors. 
The  physician  occupies  his  true  position,  when  he  regards 
himself,  and  is  regarded  by  others,  as  an  instrument,  under 
God,  for  the  benefit  of  his  fellows.  Honorable  and  blessed 
is  the  office  of  the  Physician.  He  is  called  of  God  to  as- 
suage the  pain,  and  to  heal  the  maladies  of  men !  How 
gracious  is  it  of  the  great  Creator  to  bestow  His  benefits 
upon  us  by  our  brother's  hand,  and  to  blend  the  skill  and 
the  wisdoixi  needful  to  our  recovery,  with  the  tenderness  and 
the  sympathy  of  a  member  of  our  common  family  ! 

Too  many,  alas  !  under  sickness  and  disease,  act  like  Asa 
rather  than  like  Hezekiah.  It  is  recorded  regarding  the 
former,  as  a  warning  to  all  others  in  their  maladies,  that  "  in 
his  disease  he  sought  not  the  Lord,  but  to  the  physicians." 
2.  Chron.  xvi.  12.  How  different  was  the  conduct  of  Hez- 
ekiah. Though  the  prophet  had  solemnly  declared  to  him 
"  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  that  he  should  die  and  not  live  ;" 
yet  we  read  that  he  prayed  earnestly  for  the  prolongation 
of  his  life.  God  was  not  displeased  with  that  importunity. 
He  never  regards  with  indifference  the  distresses  of  His 


THE   HEALING   OF   DISEASE.  .  55 

creatures.  He  turns  not  away  from  His  people  in  their 
misery.  The  Lord,  being  full  of  compassion,  said  to  the 
afflicted  monarch,  "  I  have  heard  thy  prayer,  I  have  seen  thy 
tears.  Behold  I  will  add  unto  thy  days  fifteen  years."  Isa. 
xxxviii.  5.  And  how  did  the  Lord  fulfil  this  mercy  1  By 
the  use  of  means ;  for  Isaiah  had  said,  "  Let  them  take  a 
lump  of  figs,  and  lay  it  for  a  plaster  upon  the  boil,  and  he 
shall  recover."  Isa.  xxxviii.  21.. 

Look,  then,  in  all  your  diseases  to  the  Lord  ;  and,  as  you 
look,  use  every  available  means  that  lies  within  your  reach. 
Employ  all  means  and  instruments,  but  depend  on  none. 
Depend  alone  on  that  God  whose  blessing  is  necessary  to 
give  them  success.  If  thou  disregardest  food  for  the  nour- 
ishment of  thy  life,  and  medicine  for  the  healing  of  thy 
maladies,  thou  disregardest  Him  who  has  commanded  thee 
to  use  them  both.  Neglect  not,  then,  this  plain  duty,  under 
the  plea  of  lookmg  to  the  Lord  ;  and,  again,  neglect  not  the 
Lord,  under  the  plea  of  attending  to  the  necessary  duties  of 
the  sick  bed.  No  case  can  possibly  be  so  urgent  as  to  pre- 
vent thee  from  calling  upon  Him.  No  disease  can  be  so 
desperate  as  to  justify  despondency  of  mind,  and  neglect  of 
prayer.  What  case  has  ever  exceeded  that  of  Hezekiah  ? 
Was  he  not  worn  under  a  "  pining  sickness"  ?  Had  not  all 
remedies  proved  unavailing'?  And  had  not  God  himself 
declared  that  he  shpuld  die  1  Yet  even  in  such  circum- 
stances he  did  not  refrain  from  prayer.  He  cried  earnestly 
for  recovery,  and  recovery  was  vouchsafed. 

It  is  not  prohibited  to  the  believer  to  ask  for  bodily  health. 
The  Scripture  expressly  assures  us  that  "  the  prayer  of  faith 


66  THE   HEALING   OF  DISEASE. 

shall  save  the  sick,  and  the  Lord  shall  raise  him  up."  James 
V.  15.  "The  prayer  of  faith"  is,  in  its  very  nature,  a  prayer 
also  of  acquiescence  and  submission.  No  temporal  blessing 
should  be  sought  from  God,  without  this  Christ-like  addi- 
tion, "  Nevertheless  not  my  will,  but  Thine  be  done."  So 
gracious  is  our  heavenly  Father,  and  so  tender  is  He  to  the 
ieelings  of  His  children,  that  there  is  not  a  single  subject,  or 
condition  whatsoever,  that  He  has  forbidden  them  to  Him 
in  prayer.  On  the  contrary  He  invites,  yea.  He  commands 
them  to  unbosom  their  whole  hearts  to  Him  without  reserve. 
IJis  word  expressly  says,  "  trust  in  Him  at  all  times ;  ye 
people,  pour  out  your  hearts  before  him :  God  is  a  refuge 
for  us."  Psa.  Ixii.  8. 

The  more  desperate  the  case,  the  more  urgent  should  be 
our  appeal  to  God,  Does  a  beloved  friend  lie  sick  and  ill '? 
Is  a  wife,  or  a  husband,  or  a  child,  at  the  point  of  death 
under  some  alarming  malady  1  Have  you  scarcely  a  day 
or  an  hour  to  depend  upon  their  life  1  Submit,  but  do  not 
despond.  Pray,  wrestle,  agonize  in  supplication,  but  be  not 
dumb  with  despair.  While  there  is  life,  there  is  hope.  All 
things  are  possible  with  God.  For  aught  that  you  can  tell, 
He  may  be  waiting  to  give  the  blessing  as  soon  as  you  have 
earnestly  importuned  him  for  it.  Compare  Luke  xi.  8,  and 
Gen.  xviii.  24 — 32. 

Kemember,  however,  at  all  times  that  we  must  never  set 

our  hearts  inordinately  either  upon  our  own  recovery,  or 

,  upon  that  of  others.     Life  and  health  are  in  the  hands  of 

God.     He  gives,  and  he  retakes  them,  when  and  how  He 

pleases ;  and  who  dare  say  to  Him  in  either  case,  "  What 


THE   HEALING   OF   DISEASE.  57 

doest  Thou  1"  We  must  not  even  feel,  much  less  declare, 
that  unless  recovery  and  life  be  granted,  we  shall  not  be  sat- 
isfied. This  is  not  submission,  but  opposition,  unto  God. 
It  is  a  positive  rejection  of  His  will,  and  a  guilty  preference 
of  our  own.  Such  conduct  can  only  defeat  our  own  object — 
blast  our  wishes — and  provoke  the  Most  High  to  withhold 
from  us  the  very  blessing  which  we  so  rebelliously  demand. 

It  is  the  prerogative  of  faith  to  recognize  God  in  all  things, 
liike  Moses,  we  are  called  to  endure  "  as  seeing  Him  who  is 
invisible."  Heb.  xi.  2.  And  never  is  that  far-seeing  eye  of 
faith  more  needed,  than  when  the  natural  eye  is  dimmed  by 
the  influence  of  disease.  Bodily  maladies  have  too  often  a 
depressing  influence  upon  the  believer's  spirit.  The  anxieties 
and  the  necessary  duties  of  a  sick  chamber,  occupy  and  dis- 
tract the  thoughts.  When  suffering  and  danger  are  present, 
it  is  often  difficult  to  believe  that  a  gracious  God  is  equally 
j^resent  also.  Yet  the  God  of  love  is  in  the  sick  man's 
chamber.  Faith  asserts  that  He  is  present  there.  It  does 
so,  because  God  himself  declares  it :  "  Fear  thou  not,  for  I 
am  with  thee."  Isa.  xli.  10.  When  thou  passest  through  the 
waters,  I  will  be  with  thee."  Isa.  xliii.  2.  And  hence,  even 
in  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  Faith  says,  "  I  will  fear 
no  evil,  for  Thou  art  with  me."  Psa.  xxiii.  4.  The  presence 
of  God  is  the  sunshine  of  the  believing  soul,  and  the  joy 
thereof  is  its  strength. 

Great  is  the  difference  between  the  submissive  believer, 
and  the  self-willed  infidel  under  the  fatal  influence  of  disease. 
Dark  and  dismal  is  the  death-bed  of  the  man  who  knows 
not  God.     The  utmost  service  that  human   ingenuity  Ciin 

3^ 


58  THE   HEALING   OF   DISEASE. 

effect,  may  be  rendered  to  his  malady.  Wealth  may  com- 
mand whatsoever  seems  necessary  to  liis  cure,  and  no  ex- 
pense may  be  spared  by  which  his  comfort  can  be  promoted. 
Science  may  employ  her  abundant  resources,  and  men  of 
skill  and  of  experience  may  unremittingly  devote  their  best 
energies  to  his  relief.  Still,  day  after  day,  it  may  be  that, 
baffling  all  appliances,  the  disease  gains  ground.  One  phy- 
sician is  called  in  after  another,  and  the  dying  man  looks 
wistfully  to  each  as  he  enters — ^but  looks  in  vain.  The  un- 
seen, the  unknown,  the  unthought  of  Physician,  is  present  in 
his  room ;  but,  alas  !  he  neither  believes  in  His  presence, 
nor  implores  His  aid.  He  addresses  not  a  single  petition 
for  recovery  to  Him  who  alone  can  cure.  All  his  thoughts 
are  fixed  on  the  various  ineffectual  remedies,  and  on  each 
successive  earthly  physician.  His  feeble  voice  is  heard  say- 
ing, "  Call  in  another."  There  is  another,  "  the  Physician 
from  Gilead,"  Jer.  viii.  22,  who  can  change  even  death  itself 
into  a  sleep ;  but  not  one  individual,  perhaps,  around  that 
dying  bed  prizes  His  balm,  or  advises  to  have  recourse  to 
Him.  Even  at  this,  the  eleventh  hour,  it  may  be  that  the 
book  of  God  is  not  opened  for  consolation ;  nor  does  a  single 
voice,  in  friendly  and  fervent  intercession,  offer  up  a  final 
supplication  on  his  behalf.  Friends  weep  around  him  be- 
cause there  is  no  hope.  His  own  heart  sinks  within  him 
because  there  is  no  remedy  ;  his  eye  wanders  in  vain  from 
relatives  to  attendants,  and  from  attendants  to  physicians. 
He  casts  a  last  look  imploringly  around  him,  and  closes 
his  eyes  in  despair  upon  a  helpless  and  a  disappointing 
world. 


THE    HEALING    OF   DISEASK.  59 

But  how  different  is  the  case  of  the  man  who  confides  in 
God  through  Jesus  Christ.  Bright  and  comforting  is  the 
death-bed  of  the  believer.  Poor  or  splendid  may  be  the 
circumstances  that  surround  his  sinking  frame.  His  heart  is 
raised  above  them  all.  Wealth  he  knows  cannot  prolong 
his  existence,  neither  can  poverty  hasten  his  dissolution. 
Friends,  attendants,  and  physicians,  he  firmly  believes  can 
avail  him  nothing  without  the  blessing  of  his  heavenly 
Father.  His  first  act,  therefore,  is  to  place  himself  in  the 
hands  of  the  wisest  and  the  best  Physician,  and  by  earnest 
and  believing  prayer  to  commit  his  case  implicitly  to  His 
care  from  first  to  last.  He  receives  with  gratitude  the 
remedies  supplied  by  human  skill,  and  he  regards  with  satis- 
faction the  prompt  and  persevering  efforts  that  are  made  for 
his  restoration.  He  fervently  prays  also  that  they  may  be 
crowned  with  success,  saying  to  his  unseen  but  ever  near 
Physician,  "  Have  mercy  upon  me,  O  Lord,  for  I  am  weak  ; 
O  Lord  heal  m.e,  for  my  bones  are  vexed."  Psa.  vi.  2. 
During  the  progress  of  his  malady  he  gives  way  to  no 
anxious  thoughts  or  desponding  fears.  The  peace  of  God, 
which  passes  all  understanding,  keeps  his  heart  and  mind 
through  Christ  Jesus.  His  soul  reposes  through  unerring 
wisdom,  and  in  reference  to  whatsoever  may  be  the  ulti- 
mate issue,  he  feels  that  he  can  be  both  thankful  to  live  and 
willing  to  die.  Remedies  may  prove  unsuccessful,  and  the 
resources  of  science  unavailing.  Friends  may  weep  around 
him,  and  attendants  wail.  Physicians  may  lament  that 
they  can  do  no  more,  but  still  he  an  answer,  "  All  is  well, 
everlastingly  well.     There  is   r\q.  danger  to  the  Christian 


60  THE  HEALING  OF  DISEASE. 

whatever  may  happen."  Having  expected  nothing  certain 
from  mere  earthly  instrumentalities,  he  feels  no  bitter  dis- 
appointment at  their  failure.  Neither  sullenness  nor  gloom 
overspread  his  mind.  Despair  and  terror  find  no  place  in 
his  breast.  "  The  hour  of  his  departure  is  come.  He  hears 
the  voice  that  calls  him  home."  He  looks  around  upon  rel- 
atives, attendants,  and  physicians,  with  gratitude  and  affec- 
tion ;  he  commends  them  with  fervor  to  the  care  of  his  long- 
tried  and  never-failing  Friend ;  and  he  invites  them,  with 
a  smile,  too  meet  him  in  the  abodes. of  glory.  Then  yield- 
ing his  spirit  into  his  Saviour's  hands,  he  casts  a  last  look  of 
love  around  him,  and  closes  his  eyes  in  peace,  with  a  "hope 
full  of  immortality." 

None  can  fully  know  the  blessedness  of  health,  but  those 
Avho  have  experienced  the  ravages  of  disease.  None,  there- 
fore, can  be  truly  thankful  for  healing  mercy,  but  those  who 
have  endured  painful  chastening.  Nor  even  these  uni- 
versally. Such  only  of  their  number  will  be  truly  thankful, 
as  have  received  the  spiritual  benefit  of  their  chastening. 
We  can  never  rightly,  that  is,  adequately  and  spiritually, 
bless  God  for  the  removal  of  disease,  till  we  have  learned, 
in  some  measure,  by  divine  grace,  to  thank  Him  for  the 
disease  itself  Strange  contradiction — marvellous  gratitude  ! 
The  believer  can  thank  God  both  for  sending  him  affliction 
and  for  taking  it  away  ! 

Health  is  a  great  blessing,  but  sanctified  affliction  is  a  still 
greater  blessing.  I  knew  an  intelligent  and  pious  man  who 
carried  an  affliction  with  him  from  his  birth.  "  You  observe. 
Sir,"  he  remarked,  "  I  can  but  creep  upon  the  earth."     Then 


THE   HEALING   OF   DISEASE.  61 

looking  down  and  pointing  to  his  limbs,  he  added,  "  I  \va? 
born  with  these  club  feet ;  but  since  the  time  that  I  was 
born  again,  I  have  not  ceased  to  give  thanks  for  them  unto 
God  ;  for,  ^vith  my  light  and  joyous  spirit,  I  think  had  I  had 
feet  like  other  men,  they  would  have  carried  me  headlong  to 
destruction." 

Health  is  a  great  blessing,  but  sanctified  affliction  is  a 
still  greater  blessing.  "  Visit  for  me  a  parishioner,"  said  a 
brother  clergyman ;  "  she  has  been  bowed  together  on  her 
bed  for  these  sixteen  years."  On  entering  her  chamber,  I 
beheld  a  countenance  radiant  with  intelligence,  and  beaming 
with  Christian  joy.  Her  sufferings  were  constant,  she  said, 
and  at  times  almost  insupportable  ;  but  then  she  added  with 
a  smile,  "  they  are  nothing  to  my  Saviour's  love.  Some- 
times I  think  that  the  time  is  long  ;  but  I  check  myself  and 
say,  '  Forgive  me,  Lord  ;  thy  will  is  best,  not  mine.'  "  Un- 
like many  other  long-tried  sufferers,  her  thoughts  and  feel- 
ings had  by  no  means  become  morbid  or  selfishly  contract- 
ed. On  the  contrary  her  heart  appeared  to  be  filled  with 
generous  and  universal  sympathies.  Every  work  that  was 
going  forward  for  the  spiritual  and  temporal  benefit  of  her 
fellow-creatures,  obtained  immediately  her  thoughts,  her 
contributions,  and  her  prayers.  "  I  lie  here,"  was  her  re- 
mark, "  and  bless  my  God  for  everything."  Never  shall 
the  sight  be  forgotten  of  that  long-tried  but  cheerful  sufferer, 
that  weak  but  thankful  prisoner  of  disease.  So  fair  and 
lovely  was  her  countenance,  so  joyous,  and  lively,  and  ener- 
getic was  its  expression,  that  she  seemed  like  a  bird  of  para- 
dise with  half-expanded  wing,  watching  and  waiting  for  tho 


m  THE   HEALIXG   OF   DISEASE. 

opening  of  her  cage,  that  she  might  soar  away  to  her  desired 
heaven  ;  and  thither  her  sainted  spirit  is  now  flown. 

Eeader,  hast  thou  enjoyed  uninterrupted  health  ?  How 
grateful  shouldst  thou  be  ;  more  grateful,  in  one  sense,  than 
David.  He  blessed  God  fervently  for  having  taken  away 
his  diseases.  Thou  shouldst  bless  Him  still  more  fervent- 
ly for  not  having  sent  thee  any.  Be  doubly  thankful, 
therefore,  for  thy  freedom  from  disease.  Use  thy  unbroken 
strength  solely  to  the  glory  of  the  Giver.  See  that  thou  do 
more  than  others  in  His  service.  Let  not  the  outward  bless- 
ing of  a  robust  frame  bring  an  inward  weakness  upon  thy 
soul  now,  and  an  everlasting  blight  upon  thy  soul  and  body 
in  the  last  judgment. 

Reader  !  art  thou  a  sufferer '?  Few  of  thy  fellow-men  are 
altogether  whole.  Suffering,  debility,  or  disease  in  some 
one  or  other  of  their  varied  forms,  are  common  to  men.  A 
thorn  in  the  flesh  is  part  of  our  inheritance  from  Adam  : 
"  Man  is  born  to  trouble  as  the  sparks  fly  upward."  And 
has  thy  trouble,  Reader,  come  to  thee  by  chance  ?  Job  had 
greater  experience  of  sorrow  than  thou,  and  he  declares  that 
"  affliction  cometh  not  out  of  the  dust,  neither  doth  trouble 
spring  out  of  the  ground."  Job  v.  7.  Therefore  say  instant- 
ly NO,  emphatically  no,  to  every  insinuation  of  the  infidel, 
and  to  every  suggestion  of  the  tempter — no  trouble  comes 
BY  CHANCE.  Whether  it  be  that  through  the  hostility  of  man 
the  possessions  of  the  believer  are  swept  away  ;  or  that  by 
the  fire  of  God  falling  from  heaven  his  flocks  are  burnt  up, 
and  his  servants  are  consumed  ;  whether  it  be  that  a  great 
wind  from  the  wilderness  buries  his  whole  family  in  one 


THE   HEALING   OF   DISEASE.  63 

night  amid  the  ruins  of  their  habitation  ;  or  that  a  virulent 
disease  breaks  forth  upon  his  own  person  from  the  sole  of 
his  foot  unto  the  crown  of  his  head ;  whether  it  be  that  his 
dearest  friends,  and  his  nearest  relatives,  turn  against  him  in 
his  calamities,  yet  will  the  believer  look  above  all  these 
second  causes,  and  recognize  in  each  event  and  circumstance 
the  hand  of  God.  He  will  not  say,  "  the  wind  happened  to 
blow ;  the  house  to  fall ;  the  lightning  to  strike  ;  and  the 
enemy  to  despoil."  On  the  contrary,  his  language  is,  "  The 
Lord  hath  taken  away."  Say,  then,  with  Job  in  all  thy 
sicknesses,  "  Shall  we  receive  good  at  the  hand  of  God,  and 
shall  we  not  receive  evil  V  Job  ii.  10.  Yea,  say  with  thy 
suffering  Saviour  in  every  affliction,  "The  cup  which  my 
Father  hath  given  me"  to  drink,  "  shall  I  not  drink  it  f ' 
John  xviii.  11. 

Diligently  consider  thy  diseases,  oh  believer !  that  thou 
may  est  thankfully  consider  thy  deliverances.  Regard  God's 
hand  in  the  one,  that  thou  mayest  acknowledge  His  hand, 
also,  in  the  other.  How  many  sicknesses  hast  thou  seen  1 
Of  what  nature  were  they  '?  How  violent  1  And  of  what 
continuance'?  Let  all  these  several  inquiries  be  distinctly 
answered  in  thy  remembrance,  that  with  the  deeper  gratitude 
thou  mayest  bless  thy  good  and  great  Physician.  Each 
sickness  has  made  thee  a  debtor  to  thy  God  ;  and  each  de- 
liverance has  doubled  that  debt.  Defraud  not,  then,  thy 
Lord  of  the  glory  that  is  His  due.  He  condescends  to  ac- 
cept through  Christ  the  poor  payment  of  thy  praise: 
"  Whoso  ofFereth  praise  glorifieth  Me,  saith  the  Lord,  and  to 


64  THE   HEALING   OF   DISEASE. 

him  that  ordereth  his  conversation  aright  will  I  show  the 
salvation  of  God."  Psa.  1.  23. 

Art  thou  as  one  of  the  ten  that  were  cleansed  *?  Be  not 
as  one  of  the  nine  that  went  away.  The  moment  thou  per- 
ceivest  that  thou  art  healed,  turn  back,  and  give  glory  to 
God  with  a  loud  voice,  Luke  xvii.  15.  Be  not  ashamed  to 
proclaim  thy  obligations  to  the  good  Physician.  Amidst 
thy  family,  amongst  thy  friends,  and  within  the  house  of 
God,  declare  alike  His  healing  power,  and  thine  own  fervent 
gratitude.  Again  and  again  return  to  give  glory  to  God. 
Offer  thy  praises  unceasingly,  like  David.  Peruse  this  hun- 
dred and  third  Psalm  frequently  in  thy  closet.  Close  up 
thy  weekly  account  with  praise,  as  each  week  closes  upon 
thee  with  mercy.  Yea,  let  not  a  single  day  of  spiritual  or 
temporal  health  pass  over  thy  head  without  saying,  in  most 
fervent  gratitude,  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  all  that 
is  within  me  bless  His  holy  name — who  healeth  all  thy 
diseases. 


.    lY. 

"Who  redeemeth  thy  life  from  destruction. — Verse  4. 

From  his  earliest  days  the  Psalmist  was  the  child  of 
Providence.  Many  were  the  hair-breadth  escapes,  and  the 
wonderful  deliverances,  which  he  experienced.  Dangers  of 
^'ctrious  kinds  presented  themselves  as  his  years  advanced. 
The  paw  of  the  lion,  and  the  paw  of  the  bear,  at  various 
times  threatened  to  terminate  his  existence,  and  at  others 
the  ruthless  hand  of  man.  The  same  God  who  delivered 
him  from  the  sword  of  Goliath,  rescued  his  life  from  the 
javelin  of  Saul.  That  almighty  Friend  who  had  covered 
his  head  in  the  day  of  battle,  delivered  him,  at  one  moment, 
from  the  lords  of  the  Philistines,  saved  him  at  another  out 
of  the  hands  of  the  men  of  Keilah,  and  again  preserved  to 
him  his  life  and  throne  from  the  unnatural  rebellion  of  his 
own  son.  Well,  therefore,  might  the  Psalmist  stir  up  his 
soul,  and  all  that  was  within  him,  to  bless  the  Lord  with 
most  fervent  gratitude,  who,  by  so  many  signal  deliverances, 
had  "  redeemed  his  life  from  destruction." 

The  term  "  redeemed"  is  of  high  and  holy  import.     It 


6Q        TPIE   LIFE   REDEEMED   FEOM   DESTRUCTIONo 

leads  the  mind  far  above  the  mere  fact  of  preservation,  and 
sets  before  it  the  wondrous  means,  the  glorious  reason,  why 
any  sinner  obtains  deliverance  from  destruction.  Few  of 
us  sufficiently  realize  the  position  in  which  Adam's  sin  and 
Christ's  redemption  have  placed  us.  Our  lives  are  for- 
feited. The  transgression  of  our  first  parents  brought  them, 
and  all  their  family,  under  the  attainder  of  the  curse. 
Every  sin  we  commit  deserves  our  immediate  condemna- 
tion and  death.  The  original  law  under  which  our  race  was 
created,  pronounced  this  sentence,  "  In  the  day  thou  eatest 
thereof  thou  shalt  surely  die."  And  why  was  this  decree 
not  executed  upon  our  first  parents  ?  and  why  is  it  not 
executed  upon  ourselves  ?  The  only  true  answer  that  can 
be  given  is  this :  Because  of  the  gracious  interposition  of 
that  Redeemer,  who  is  emphatically  declared  to  be  "  the 
Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world."  Rev.  xiii.  8. 
The  Son  of  God  caught  up  our  falling  world.  The  second 
Adam  offered  himself  as  a  substitute  to  die  for  the  first 
Adam.  And  by  virtue  of  His  blood,  shed  for  our  guilt, 
the  blood  of  man  flows  not  for  his  own  guilt.  The  original 
law  was  express  and  universal :  Die  through  sin.  The  re- 
demption law  is  also  express  and  universal :  Live  through 
righteousness.  Because  the  Jii'st  Adam  sinned,  we  have 
all  fallen  under  the  sentence  of  that  original  law.  Because 
the  second  Adam  sinned  not,  its  execution  is  stayed,  and  we 
are  all  spared  under  the  power  of  this  redemption  law. 
The  suretyship  of  Jesus  is  the  only  legal  ground  on  which 
mercy  can  be  shown  to  an  attainted  race.  His  redemption 
is  the  just  and   righteous  cause  of  the  prolongation  of  our 


THE   LIFE   REDEEMED   FROM   DESTRUCTION.         67 

forfeited  existence.  It  is,  therefore,  with  peculiar  and  ex- 
pressive fitness  that  David  here  applies  that  term  to  him- 
self as  a  sinner  obtaining  mercy,  when  he  thus  addresses 
and  instructs  his  soul  to  bless  the  gracious  God  "  who  re- 
deemeth  thy  life  from  destruction." 

The  statement  of  this  truth  might  thus  be  drawn  in  par- 
able. There  was  a  wise  and  gracious  monarch  of  a  mighty 
empire,  whose  subjects  lived  upon  his  smile,  and  placed 
their  supreme  delight  in  giving  obedience  to  his  will.  There 
was  but  one  law  promulgated  in  his  kingdom — it  was  the 
law  of  love.  There  was  but  one  sentence  published  through- 
out its  vast  extent — it  was  the  sentence  of  death.  Love  and 
live  :  disobey  and  die. 

Throughout  the  whole  of  this  great  king's  dominions,  loy- 
alty and  harmony  prevailed.  But  suddenly  the  inhabitants 
of  a  distant  province,  seduced  from  their  allegiance  by  mis- 
representations of  his  character,  revolted  against  this  gra- 
cious Sovereign,  repudiated  his  authority,  and  formed  an 
alliance  with  the  enemy  of  their  King  and  country.  Every 
faithful  subject  rose  with  indignation  at  the  tidings  of  their 
rebellion,  and  demanded  that  the  sentence  of  the  law 
should  be  enforced  against  the  rebels.  The  royal  mandate 
w^as  issued  for  their  immediate  extermination.  But  before 
the  execution  of  that  decree,  the  Prince  approached  his 
Royal  Father  with  a  counsel  of  peace.  "  These  rebels  de- 
serve the  death  decreed.  I  offer  no  apology  for  their  crime. 
Tlie  laws  of  the  empire  must  be  maintained  inviolate.  But 
if  the  lives  of  so  many  may  be  spared,  I  will  lay  down  my 
own.     Let  them  live.     Let  me  die.     Thus  thy  mercy  and 


68         THE   LIFE   KEDEEMED   FKOil   DESTRUCTION. 

thy  justice  will  be  alike  displayed.  Every  shadow  of  mis- 
representation and  of  pretence  for  rebellion  will  be  done 
away  forever.  My  heralds  will  proclaim  thy  clemency  to 
the  guilty,  through  my  death  in  their  stead.  Those  who 
believe  my  dying  love,  will  return  to  Thee  in  allegiance. 
Those  who  believe  it  not,  will  continue  in  their  rebellion. 
The  one  will  prove  themselves  to  be  devoted  friends  :  let 
them  be  regarded  with  favor  as  thy  children  for  my  sake. 
The  others  will  prove  themselves  to  be  irreconcilable  ene- 
mies ;  let  them  be  given  over  to  condign  punishment." 

This  counsel  was  followed.  The  Prince  died  to  maintain 
the  law,  and  yet  to  spare  the  guilty.  Heralds  were  sent 
forth  to  the  inhabitants  of  that  rebellious  province  with  this 
gracious  proclamation — "  The  King  against  whom  you  have 
rebelled,  has  given  his  own  son  to  die  on  your  behalf.  Your 
forfeited  lives  are  now  spared  through  his  death  in  your 
stead.  The  last  entreaty — the  dying  command  which  he  left 
— is  this,  that  you  return  to  his  Father.  Your  rebellion 
shall  be  no  hinderance  to  your  acceptance.  The  King  is  not 
now  imputing  it  to  you  as  a  cause  of  exclusion  from  his 
presence.  Believe  in  his  mercy.  Lay  down  your  arms.  Let 
the  dying  love  of  the  Prince  prevail  with  you  all  to  return 
to  your  allegiance.  Whosoever  continues  in  rebellion,  shall 
assuredly  be  condemned." 

The  message  of  the  Prince  was  variously  received  in  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  rebellious  province.  Some  denied  that  any 
rebellion  had  existed,  and  maintained  that  their  province 
was  as  loyal  as  any  other  in  the  empire.  Some  declared 
that  the  slight  rebellion  which  had  arisen,  did  not  deserve  so 


THE   LIFE   REDEEMED   FROM   DESTRUCTION.         69 

severe  a  sentence  as  had  been  decreed  against  it,  and  that 
consequently,  the  death  of  the  Prince  was  uncalled  for,  and 
altogether  unnecessary.  Others  doubted  whether  the  Prince 
had  really  died  on  their  behalf,  and  refused  to  credit  the  fact 
that  they  were  indebted  to  him  for  their  deliverance  from 
immediate  destruction.  Others  professed  delight  at  the  in 
telligence  of  their  Sovereign's  clemency,  but  yet  retained  a 
secret  wish  for  the  success  of  the  rebellion.  Some  listened 
eagerly  to  each  successive  herald,  but  questioned  whether 
they  would  be  accepted  if  they  laid  down  their  arms,  and 
passed  their  time  amid  doubts  and  fears,  that  perhaps,  after 
all,  they  should  be  condemned.  Others  again  there  were, 
who  heard  the  proclamation  with  deep  emotion.  They  were 
pierced  to  the  heart  by  the  goodness  of  their  Sovereign. 
The  death  of  his  Son  displayed  to  them  at  once  the  greatness 
of  his  clemency,  and  the  foulness  of  their  own  rebellion. 
Self  condemned,  they  knew  not  how  to  forgive  themselves 
for  having  taken  up  arms  against  so  good  a  King ;  and  when 
they  thought  of  his  Son's  sufferings  and  death  in  their  stead, 
they  wept,  they  cast  away  every  weapon  of  opposition,  they 
renounced  all  association  with  their  rebellious  companions, 
and  in  the  face  of  every  risk  and  peril,  they  openly  espoused 
their  sovereign's  cause. 

It  is  obvious  that  the  Prince  is  immediately  the  preserver 
of  the  life  of  all  the  rebels,  and  particularly  and  finally  of 
those  who  return  to  their  allegiance.  In  like  manner,  it  is 
said  of  Jesus,  that  "  He  is  the  Saviour  of  all  men,  especially 
of  those  that  believe."  1  Tim.  iv.  10.  Every  human  being 
that  has  ever  lived,  or  that  now  breathes,  or  that  shall  here- 


70        THE   LIFK   REDEEMED   FROM   DESTRUCTION. 

after  exist  upon  the  earth,  owes  his  life  to  the  death  of  Jesus. 
He  is  the  immediate  Saviour  of  all  men,  otherwise  every 
man  in  the  first  day  that  he  sinned  must  have  surely  suffered 
death.  But  He  is  particularly  and  finally  the  Saviour  of 
those  who  believe  in  His  dying  love,  and  return  to  His 
Father  through  Him.  The  past  sin  and  rebellion  of  men,  is 
at  present,  no  hinderance  to  their  acceptance.  Whenever  a 
rebel  presents  himself  before  God,  acknowledging  his  guilt, 
and  supplicating  forgiveness  in  the  name  of  Jesus,  he  is  ad- 
mitted to  favor.  The  death  of  the  Son  of  God,  our  own 
present  existence  in  consequence  of  that  death,  and  all  the 
mercies  and  benefits  with  which  our  spared  lives  are  crowned, 
are  conclusive  arguments  to  assure  us  that  as  certainly  as 
w^e  confess  and  renounce  each  act  of  rebellion,  so  certainly 
does  the  Lord  forgive  it.  To  doubt  the  clemency  of  the 
Sovereign,  to  regard  the  death  of  the  Prince  as  of  no  avail 
to  their  benefit,  and  to  entertain  the  opinion,  that  though 
they  confessed  their  guilt,  laid  down  their  arms,  and  sup- 
plicated pardon,  they  should  yet,  after  all,  be  condemned, 
would  be  a  grievous  aggravation  of  the  original  sin  of  our 
rebellious  province. 

It  can  never  be  sufficiently  impressed  upon  our  minds 
that  every  sin  forfeits  the  life  of  the  sinner.  The  law  of  sac- 
rifice affirmed  this  solemn  truth.  For  every  sin,  blood — 
which  is  the  life — was  commanded  to  be  shed.  Innocent, 
but  representative,  blood,  was  accepted  for  the  blood  of  the 
guilty.  The  life  of  a  surety  was  taken  for  the  life  of  the 
,  principal.  To  the  sacrifice  of  that  surety,  the  sinner  ascribed 
his  redemption  from  destruction.     So  likewise  to  the  re- 


THR   LIFE   REDEEMED    FROM    DESTRUCTION.         71 

demption  in  Christ's  blood,  every  human  being  should  attrib- 
ute his  daily,  and  hourly,  preservation.  Every  sin,  but  for 
the  Lord  Jesus,  the  Redeemer,  would  be  visited  on  the  spot 
with  immediate  condemnation.  The  continuance,  therefore, 
of  our  race  upon  the  earth,  and  the  prolongation  of  each  in- 
dividual's natural  life,  though  a  sinner,  is  entirely  owing  to 
this  gracious  Daysman  between  us  and  God.  Ever  since 
the  fall,  the  world  has  been  given  into  His  hands  as  the 
Mediator.  God  the  Son  is  the  Conservator  and  the  Gov- 
ernor of  our  rebellious  province.  Therefore  free  Mercy, 
by  reason  of  satisfied  Justice,  now  sways  the  sceptre  over 
this  sin-laden  world.  Therefore  is  it  that  our  every  sin 
meets  not  with  instant  vengeance,  because  Jesus  is  the  Sav- 
iour of  all  men,  and  especially  of  them  that  believe.  In  this 
sense  we  are  all  "  redeemed  from  destruction,"  as  were  the 
children  of  Israel  from  Egypt,  and  the  Red  Sea,  and  yet,  be- 
cause of  unbelief,  we  are  not  all  brought  into  the  promised 
land.  In  this  sense  we  are  all  being  continually  "  redeemed 
from"  deserved  "  destruction,"  every  day  we  live ;  and 
therefore,  our  daily  preservation,  notwithstanding  our  daily 
sins,  should  awaken  within  us  the  grateful  emotions  of  the 
Psalmist  when  he  said,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  who 
redeemeth  thy  life  from  destruction." 

Do  we  really  believe  that  our  natural  life  is  forfeited,  that 
our  body  is  legally  dead  because  of  sin — that  in  the  eye  of 
God,  and  of  the  original  law  of  our  world,  our  soul  is  ac- 
tually dead,  having  by  nature  no  union  with  God,  who  is 
our  spiritual  life  ?  And  do  we  realize  that  being  thus  dead 
in  law,  all  our  works  are  "dead  works?"  Ileb.  ix.  14.     We 


72         THK   LIFE   EEDEEMED   FROM   DESTRUCTION. 

stand  before  God,  as  an  outlawed  man  stands  before  society. 
He  is  dead  in  the  eye  of  the  law.  He  can,  therefore,  occupy 
no  office,  he  can  hold  no  trust,  he  can  perform  no  act,  he  can 
execute  no  deed,  recognizable  and  commendable  by  the  body 
politic  from  which  he  is  outlawed ;  so  are  we  before  God. 
All  our  natural  amiableness  and  good  deeds,  one  to  another, 
are  "  dead  works"  before  God ;  they  are  the  works  of  men  un- 
der sentence  of  outlawry,  who  are  dead  in  the  eye  of  the  law. 
The  vivid  and  continual  remembrance  that  we  have  by  na- 
ture, the  sentence  of  death  in  and  upon  our  persons,  will 
make  us  prize  highly  that  Suretyship,  by  the  grace  of  which 
our  life  is  prolonged,  our  sins  pardoned,  our  prayers  and  our 
persons  accepted.  Thus  gratitude  will  be  kindled  deep  and 
strong  within  our  breasts.  We  shall  increase  in  thankful- 
ness at  every  fresh  advance  we  make  in  the  knowledge  of 
our  great  deliverance.  We  will  look  back  with  more  in- 
tense wonder  to  the  rock  whence  we  were  hewn,  and  more 
horror-stricken  to  the  hole  of  the  pit  whence  we  were 
digged ;  and  we  will  praise,  and  bless,  with  increasing  and 
unceasing  ferveiicy,  the  name  of  our  gracious  Surety  and 
Deliverer. 

The  omnipresence,  the  omnipotence,  and  the  benevolence 
of  our  God,  are  often  strikingly  displayed  in  the  sudden 
averting  of  impending  dangers.  Those  marvellous  escapes, 
which  we  occasionally  experience,  plainly  testify  that  the 
Lord  is  nearer  to  us  than  the  nearest  calamity,  and  that  His 
power  is  stronger  than  the  strongest  enemy. 

It  is  not  only  in  rare  and  remarkable  occurrences  that  we 
observe  the  providential  care  of  God.     Our  daily  life  is  en- 


THE   LIFE    REDKEMED    FROM    DESTRUCTION.         73 

compassed  with  daily  dangers.  Our  going  out  and  our  coming 
in,  our  rising  up  and  our  sitting  down,  expose  us  to  a  variety 
of  accidents.  So  frail  are  the  materials  of  our  earthly  fabric, 
that  the  movement  of  a  limb,  the  stretching  of  an  arm,  the 
displacing  of  a  muscle,  may  cause  instantaneous  sufferings — 
sufferings  which  cannot  be  moderated  by  the  skill  of  man, 
and  which  can  only  be  terminated  by  the  hand  of  death. 

"  Our  life  contains  a  thousand  springs, 
But  fails,  if  one  be  gone  : 
Strange,  that  a  harp  of  thousand  strings 
Should  keep  in  tune  so  long !" 

Our  existence  hangs  upon  a  brittle  thread,  which  the  slight- 
est breath  may  snap  asunder.  It  is  the  mighty  power  of 
God  alone  that  can  preserve  that  thread  unbroken  to  His 
own  appointed  time.  And  many  and  marvellous  are  the 
gracious  interventions  of  His  providence,  by  which  he  effects 
that  preservation. 

Appropriate  and  necessary  for  every  human  being  is  the 
prayer  to  be  delivered  "  from  battle,  and  murder,  and  from 
sudden  death."  To  the  true  believer  sudden  death  is,  in- 
deed, sudden  glory ;  but  to  him  it  should  not  be  merely  on 
that  account,  the  more  desirable.  Believers  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  world  have  generally  been  privileged  to 
glorify  their  God  in  their  departing  moments  :  sudden  death 
is  an  exception  to  the  general  rule.  Even  the  most  advanced 
believer  should  hesitate  to  express  a  desire  for  sudden  re- 
moval. The  cowardice  of  our  nature  too  frequently  conceals 
itself  beneath  this  specious  wish.  Through  fear  of  death, 
many  are  all  their  life-time  subject  to  that  bondage,  from 

4 


74         THE    LIFE   REDEEMED   FROM   DESTRUCTION. 

which  the  Saviour  came  to  deliver  us,  Heb.  ii.  15.  Why 
should  we  be  afraid  to  know  that  we  are  drawing  near  to 
the  close  of  our  earthly  journey  ?  An  escape  from  this 
knowledge,  and  its  accompanying  sorrows,  is  all  that  can  be 
really  gained  by  sudden  death.  Glory  is  as  sure  to  him  who 
pines,  as  to  him  who  drops  in  death.  "  Rather,"  should  the 
Christian  say,  "  Rather  w^ould  I  face  the  last  enemy,  than 
not  be  privileged  to  know  that  I  am  going  so  soon  unto  my 
God."  The  wish  for  sudden  death  is  far  too  selfish  in  its 
character,  to  be  indulged  in  by  any  true  Christian.  This 
w  ish  is  not  in  harmony  with  this  thanksgiving  of  the  Psalm- 
ist ;  and,  though  he  will  avoid,  indeed,  a  conscious  personal 
conflict  with  his  last  and  dreaded  foe,  yet  he  will  lose  the 
opportunity  to  glorify  his  God,  while  his  family  and  his 
friends  will  be  overwhelmed  w^ith  deeper  grief.  Be  not 
selfish  then,  O  Christian,  but  rejoice  when  thou  art  preserved, 
and  thank  God,  like  David,  when  thy  life  is  redeemed  from 
destruction. 

Review  thy  various  deliverances.  Consider  the  conse- 
quences to  thyself,  if  thou  "hadst  not  been  snatched  from 
destruction.  Had  death  surprised  thee  in  an  unprepared 
state,  where  now  should  be  thy  soul  1  Was  not,  therefore, 
the  redeeming  of  thy  life,  at  that  moment,  a  twofold  deliv- 
erance in  one — a  deliverance  both  of  soul  and  body  ? 

Review  thy  various  deliverances.  Recall  the  expected 
shipwreck  which  was  averted,  the  deadly  battle  where 
you  fought  unhurt,  the  alarming  pestilence  which  raged 
around  thee,  and  passed  away.  Remember  the  far  distant 
land  where  death  threatened  thee  amid  a  world  of  strangers 


THE   LIFE   REDE  KM  ED   FROM   DKSTRUCTION.         75 

— or  the  hospitable  board,  where  the  very  food  thou  wort 
enjoymg  well-nigh  deprived  thee,  in  a  moment,  of  all  vital 
power.  Canst  thou  not  recall  a  day  to  memory  when  thou 
hast  left  a  house,  a  room,  a  chair,  and  speedily  some  acci- 
dent occurred,  which,  but  for  that  removal,  had  crushed  thy 
limbs,  if  not  destroyed  thy  life  ? 

A  party  of  relatives  and  friends,  had  assembled  in  an 
ancient  baronial  mansion.  A  fearful  storm  had  raged 
throughout  the  night,  and  the  various  details  of  its  devas- 
tating effects,  cast  a  gloom,  in  the  morning,  around  the 
social  board.  As  they  were  conversing,  the  proprietor, 
glancing  toward  one  of  the  windows,  vehemently  exclaimed, 
"  My  favorite  tree — my  favorite  tree  !"  Instantly  he  rose, 
and  his  friends  followed  him.  The  lady  of  the  house  was 
left  alone  at  the  head  of  the  table,  in  the  distant  end  of  the 
room.  Suddenly  a  high  stack  of  chimneys  fell  heavily 
through  the  ceiling,  and  carried  everything  before  it,  sweep- 
ing the  table  and  the  centre  of  the  floor,  in  a  moment,  to  the 
lowest  story  of  the  house.  A  margin  of  floor,  next  the  fire- 
place, remained  firm,  and  there  was  the  lady  seated,  safe  but 
motionless,  gazing  with  horror  into  the  yawning  chasm 
opened  at  her  feet.  The  various  members  of  the  company 
were  also  safe.  From  the  deep  recesses  of  the  different 
windows,  they  were  gazing  anxiously  upon  that  favorite  tree, 
as  it  rocked  to  and  fro  under  the  fury  of  the  tempest ;  and 
little  did  they  conceive  that  the  Great  Preserver  of  men  was 
at  that  very  moment,  by  their  fear  for  its  loss,  redeeming 
their  own  lives  from  destruction. 

Hast  thou,  Reader,  ever  experienced  any  such  deliverance  ? 


76         THE   LIFE    REDEEMED   FROM   DP:STRUCTION. 

Hast  it  ever  been  said  to  thee,  "  One  foot  further,  one  mo- 
ment longer,  and  you  must  inevitably  have  been  lost?" 
Who  thus  directed  thy  movements  with  such  timely  pre- 
cision? Who  snatched  thee  from  the  danger  thou  then 
sawest  ?  Thy  ever-watchful  Lord — thy  ever-wakeful  friend. 
Be  thankful :  be  very  thankful.  Acknowledge  gladly,  and 
gratefully,  thy  preservations  from  all  dangers  seen  and  felt. 
Forget  not  also  to  bless  God  for  mercy  vouchsafed  in  all  the 
unseen  and  unknown  dangers  from  which  he  has  redeemed 
thee.  Eternity  alone  will  reveal  how  many,  and  how  won- 
derful, through  this  mortal  life,  have  been  our  deliverances 
unawares,  from  destruction  by  the  ever-watchful  care  of  our 
heavenly  Father. 

Review  thy  various  deliverances.  In  the  dark  night,  how 
many  have  they  been,  and  in  the  bright  day,  how  varied  ? 
Thy  walks  abroad  for  health — thy  toil  and  labor  for  the  daily 
bread — thy  movements  to  and  fro,  on  land  and  sea,  are  all 
dependent  upon  God.  Fire  might  seize  thy  dwelling — or 
the  midnight  robber  disturb  thy  slumbers — an  unnoticed 
descent  might  cause  thy  fall,  or  a  rough  elevation  trip  thy 
foot,  or  the  smooth  ice  occasion  thy  stumbling — the  ever- 
watchful  providence  of  God,  in  each  or  all  of  these,  it  may 
be,  has  redeemed  thy  life  from  destruction. 

Perhaps,  however,  Reader,  not  one  of  all  these  evils  has 
ever  once  come  nigh  to  thee  ?  It  may  be,  therefore,  that 
thou  hast  never  thought  of  any  deliverance,  or  offered  to 
thy  God  any  thanksgiving.  Take  shame  to  thyself.  Thou 
hast  been  enjoying  continual  deliverance ;  and  because  it 
has  been  unbroken,  thou  hast  not  noticed  it.     Shouldst  not 


THE    LIFE    REDEEMED   FROM   DESTRUCTION.         77 

thou  rather,  therefore,  have  been  the  more  observant,  and 
have  given  the  greater  praise  ?  Alas  !  that  we  should  need 
the  occasional  approach  of  danger  to  remind  us  of  our  gen- 
eral safety  !  O  how  we  prize  our  blessings  when  we  have 
feared  to  lose  them.  Because  we  have  no  trials,  we  loc»k 
upon  our  uninterrupted  security  as  a  matter  of  course. 
Mercies  are  rained  about  us,  daily,  as  the  manna  from 
heaven,  till  we  cease  to  regard  them  as  blessings  direct  from 
God,  or  indeed  as  blessings  at  all.  How  many  like  Heze- 
kiah  "  render  not  ac^ain  accordin^f  to  the  benefit  done  unto 
them."  2  Chron.  xxxii.  25.  An  almost  miraculous  deliver- 
ance may  have  rescued  a  sinner  from  destruction,  and  yet 
not  a  spark  of  gratitude  be  elicited  from  his  adamantine 
heart.  Vows  are  uttered,  and  prayers  are  offered,  in  the 
prospect  of  danger ;  but  no  sooner  is  that  danger  passed, 
than  the  vows  are  forgotten,  and  the  prayers  are  discon- 
tinued. Strive,  Christian,  to  retain  a  thankful  spirit.  Pray 
for  a  heart  ever  sensible  of  thy  Saviour's  goodness.  Abhor 
ingratitude.  Cultivate  a  lively  remembrance  of  mercies  re- 
ceived. It  is  a  grievous  thing  after  awhile  to  forget  a  bene- 
factor. To  begin  to  give  our  affections  to  the  world  and  to 
turn  them  away  from  Him  wdio  has  redeemed  our  life  by 
the  sacrifice  of  His  own,  is  altogether  unpardonable. 

God  is  nearer  to  thee,  O  believer,  than  the  nearest  danger. 
If  it  be  His  will  to  redeem  thee,  nothing  can  possibly  de- 
stroy thee.  The  enemy  may  be  close  in  pursuit  behind — 
the  mountains  may  encompass  thee  on  either  side — and  the 
impassable  sea  may  lie  before  thee.  Destruction  may  seem 
inevitable,  and  deliverance  altogether  impossible.     But  all 


78         THE    LIFE   EKDER]\[RD   FROM   DKSTRUCTION. 

things  are  possible  with  God.  At  His  command,  the  sea 
opens  a  path  before  His  people,  and  returns  with  overwhelm- 
ing vengeance  upon  their  enemies. 

God  is  nearer  to  thee,  O  believer,  than  the  nearest  danger. 
The  wisest  councillors,  may  be  called  together  by  our  bit- 
terest enemy.  Their  experience  and  their  subtlety  may  be 
equalled  only  by  their  malevolent  determination  to  destroy 
us.  God  can  frustrate  their  counsels,  and  turn  all  their  wis- 
dom into  foolishness.  Bloodthirsty  enemies  may  have 
banded  together  against  us.  They  may  have  sworn  with  an 
oath  that  they  will  not  eat  nor  drink  till  they  have  removed 
us  from  the  earth.  The  whole  train  of  their  iniquity  may 
be  laid  in  secret,  and  carried  out  to  its  completion.  The 
very  day  may  have  arrived,  which  is  to  crown  its  execution 
with  the  desired  success.  The  Lord,  however,  is  still  nearer 
to  His  people  than  the  nearest  dangers.  Deliverance  shall 
break  forth  suddenly,  like  the  sun  from  behind  a  threatening 
cloud.  The  enemies  of  the  Lord  shall  be  discomfited,  and 
all  their  wicked  devices  shall  be  recompensed  upon  their  own 
heads. 

God  is  nearer  to  thee,  O  believer,  than  the  nearest  danger. 
Satan  may  assault,  man  may  rage,  and  dangers  may  threaten. 
God  can  overrule  them  all.  Be  still.  Rely  upon  Jehovah. 
Leave  thyself  to  His  disposal.  Fear  none  of  the  things  that 
thou  mayest  suffer.  The  very  hairs  of  thy  head  are  all 
numbered,  and  not  one  of  them  can  fall  without  thy  Father's 
knowledge.  The  very  hands  of  murderers  may  be  upon 
thee,  still  God  is  with  thee.  They  shall  not  effect  their  pur- 
pose, if  it  be  His  purpose  to  deliver  thee.     God  was  near  to 


THE   LIFE   REDEEMED   FROM   DKSTRUCTIOX.         79 

Joseph  when  his  brothers  seized  him.  Contrary  to  their  own 
purpose  of  immediate  death,  they  cast  him  into  a  pit,  to 
perish.  God  was  near  to  Joseph  still,  and  overruled  their 
malice  by  their  covetousness  :  "  What  profit  is  it  if  we  slay 
our  brother '?  Come  and  let  us  sell  him  to  the  Ishmaelites," 
Gen.  xxxvii.  26.  Again,  therefore,  was  their  purpose 
changed.  Joseph  perished  not  in  the  pit,  but  the  Ishmaelites 
carried  him  into  Egypt.  Still,  however,  we  are  told  that 
"  the  Lord  was  with  Joseph."  And  though  a  lie  cast  him 
into  prison,  yet  a  dream  brought  him  out  of  it,  for  the  Lord 
was  with  him,  (ch.  xxxix.  20,  2L)  God's  power  can  bring 
His  people  into  the  greatest  tribulations,  and  lead  them  out 
of  them  again,  by  the  most  unlikely  means.  A  dream  had 
been  the  source  of  all  Joseph's  troubles,  and  a  dream  was 
made  the  source  of  all  his  elevation. 

The  destruction  of  Mordecai  seemed  inevitable,  and  near 
at  hand.  Let  but  a  few  hours  pass,  and  with  the  morning 
light  the  gallows  should  be  completed,  which  was  even  then 
preparing  for  his  execution.  But  God  was  nearer  to  him  than 
the  impending  destruction.  That  morning  could  not  the 
king  sleep,  and  that  day  was  Mordecai  exalted  to  the  highest 
honors.  The  humbled  Haman  led  him  forth  upon  the  king's 
horse,  crowned  with  the  king's  crown,  and,  in  a  few  hours 
more,  was  himself  hanged  upon  the  gallows  which  he  had 
prepared  for  Mordecai. 

Dangers  may  be  near,  but  the  Lord  is  still  nearer  to  His 
people.  Daniel  was  cast  into  the  den,  but  God  was  nearer 
to  him  than  the  lions.  The  three  children  walked  in  the 
midst  of  the  burning  fiery  furnace,  but  the  Lord  was  nearer 


80         THE   LIFE   REDEEMED   FROM   DESTRUCTION. 

to  them  than  its  devouring  flames.  A  venomous  reptile 
fastened  upon  the  hand  of  Paul,  but  God  was  nearer  to  him 
than  its  poisonous  fangs.  The  waves  were  heaving  under 
Peter's  feet,  but  Jesus  was  nearer  to  him  than  were  the 
troubled  billows. 

"  Whatsoever  the  Lord  pleases,  that  doeth  He  in  heaven 
and  in  earth,  in  the  seas  and  in  all  deep  places."  Psa,  cxxxv. 
6.  Nothing  can  resist  His  will,  either  to  preserve  or  to  de- 
stroy. "  There  is  no  king  saved  by  the  multitude  of  an 
host :  a  mighty  man  is  not  delivered  by  much  strength. 
An  horse  is  a  vain  thing  for  safety  :  neither  shall  he  deliver 
any  by  his  great  strength.  Behold,  the  eye  of  the  Lord  is 
upon  them  that  fear  Him,  upon  them  that  hope  in  His 
mercy.  To  deliver  their  soul  from  death,  and  to  keep  them 
alive  in  famine.  Our  soul  waiteth  for  the  Lord  :  He  is  our 
help  and  our  shield."  Psa.  xxxiii.  16 — 20.  The  conquering 
Israelites  got  not  the  lan(i  in  possession  by  their  own  sword, 
neither  did  their  own  arm  save  thern ;  "  hut  Thy  right  hand, 
and  Thine  arm,  and  the  light  of  Thy  eountenance,  because 
Tliou  hadst  a  favor  unto  them."  Psa.  xliv.  3.  Leave  thy-t 
self,  O  believer,  unto  thy  God.  "  He  is  our  refuge  and 
strength,  a  very  present  help  in  trouble."  Psa.  xlvi.  L 
"  The  angel  of  the  Lord  encampeth  round  about  them  that 
fear  Him,  and  delivereth  them.  O  taste  then  and  see  that 
the  Lord  is  good.  Blessed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in 
Him."  Psa.  xxxiv.  7,  8.  The  angels  can  neither  deliver  of 
their  own  will,  nor  by  their  own  power,  but  at  the  command 
and  by  the  power  of  God.  These  sons  of  light  themselves 
are  never  safe  but  in  His  protection.     Trust,  therefore,  in 


THE   LIFE    REDEEMED    FRO^[   DESTRUCTION.         81 

the  Almighty  God  continually.  "  The  Lord  alone  is  thy 
keeper :  the  Lord  is  thy  shade  upon  thy  right  hand.  The 
sun  shall  not  smite  thee  by  day,  nor  the  moon  by  night. 
The  Lord  shall  preserve  thee  from  evil :  He  shall  preserve 
thy  soul.  The  Lord  shall  preserve  thy  going  out,  and  thy 
coming  in,  from  this  time  forth,  and  even  forevermore." 
Psa.  cxxi.  5 — 8.  Rise,  then,  on  the  wings  of  love  and  grati- 
tude. Soar  ever  upward  to  thy  God  and  Saviour.  To  His 
redemption  thou  owest  every  present  deliverance,  every 
temporal  blessing,  every  spiritual  and  eternal  benefit.  Let 
thy  spared  life,  therefore,  become  thy  living  sacrifice.  The 
breath  God  gives  in  mercy,  give  back  to  Him  in  praise, 
and  say,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  who  redeem elh  thy 
life  from  destruction." 

4* 


Who  crownetb.  tliee  with,  loving-kindness  and  tender  mercies. 
— Verse  4. 

Having  enumerated  three  special  mercies,  the  soul  of  the 
Psalmist  rises  with  the  strongest  emotions  of  gratitude. 
His  whole  life  appears  in  the  review,  so  far  as  God  was 
concerned,  to  be  a  rich  accumulation  of  blessings.  And  so 
bright,  so  varied,  and  so  multiplied,  are  the  benefits  which 
crowd  upon  his  remembrance,  that  he  now  stays  not  to  par- 
ticularize one  of  them  more  than  another.  He  beholds 
them  all  glittering  together  like  jewels  clustered  in  a  golden 
diadem,  and  by  a  most  appropriate,  elegant,  and  expressive 
metaphor,  he  rouses  his  spirit  to  the  highest  gratitude  and 
praise,  saying,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  who  crowneth 
thee  with  loving-kindness  and  tender  mercies." 

To  "  crown"  may  denote  the  conferring  either  of  the 
highest  honor,  or  of  the  utmost  perfection.  A  king  is 
crowned,  and  thereby  raised  to  the  most  exalted  position. 
A  building  is  said  to  be  crowned  when  the  top  stone  is  laid 
>ipon  it.     That  crowning  stone  is  the  finish  and  perfection 


CROWNED    WITH    LOVIXG-KINDXESS.  83 

of  the  building — there  is  nothing  more  to  be  added  to  it.  A 
king  may  be  arrayed  with  robes  of  state,  and  he  may  be 
adorned  with  chains  of  gold — these  also  his  nobles  weai- ; 
but  it  is  not  till  the  crown  is  placed  upon  his  head  that  he 
stands  forth  before  the  eye,  in  all  the  honor,  and  the  glory, 
the  fulness,  and  the  perfection  of  majesty.  So,  figuratively, 
many  of  the  common  blessings  of  this  life  may  be  enjoyed 
by  the  believer ;  he  may  possess  health,  and  wealth,  and 
friends  ;  he  may  experience  providential  deliverances — 
these  likewise  unbelievers  share ;  but  it  is  not  till  the 
loving-kindness  and  the  tender  mercy  of  God  in  their  he- 
stowment,  is  discerned  as  a  spiritual  crown  upon  these  other- 
wise common  mercies,  that  they  stand  out  in  all  their 
beauty,  and  their  honor,  their  fulness,  and  their  perfection. 

The  love  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus,  is  as  a  crown  of  gold 
upon  the  head  of  every  true  believer.  The  Giver  is  greater 
than  the  gift.  The  love  that  prompts  is  more  precious  than 
the  boon  it  bestows.  The  believer,  therefore,  in  receiving 
any,  and  every,  gift  from  God,  should  feel  and  acknowledge 
that  his  life  is  thereby  crowned  with  loving-kindness,  and 
with  tender  mercies.  This  it  was  which  gladdened  David, 
and  inspired  his  liveliest  gratitude.  This  was  the  spiritual 
crown  which  he  prized  more  highly  than  the  diadem  of  pure 
gold  that  was  set  upon  his  head.  He  could  truly  say,  "  Be- 
cause thy  loving-kindness  is  better  than  life,  my  lips  shall 
praise  thee."  Psa.  Ixiii.  3. 

Man,  taught  by  nature,  has  but  one  mode  of  valuing 
everything — its  own  worth.  Man,  instructed  by  the  Divine 
^pifit.  bfls  a  two-fold  m.ode  of  valuation  for  all  the  things  of 


84  CROWNED  WITH  LOVING-KINDNESS 

time,  first,  as  they  are  in  themselves,  and,  secondly  an<3 
specially,  as  they  are  the  gifts  of  his  heavenly  Friend, 
When  we  receive  health,  and  food,  and  friends,  and  raiment, 
with  all  the  other  wide-spread  mercies  of  providence,  as 
daily,  customary,  and  to-be-expected  benefits,  they  become? 
common  in  themselves,  and  excite  no  gratitude  in  our 
hearts ;  but  when  we  receive  them  as  tokens  of  the  love  of 
our  Father  in  heaven,  the  King  of  kings,  immediately  they 
become  to  us  no  longer  common,  but  royal  blessings  ;  and 
just  as  a  courtier  prizes  very  highly  any  gifl  conferred  by 
his  earthly  sovereign,  however  small  its  value,  so  the  be- 
liever prizes  very  highly  the  smallest,  even  the  most  com- 
mon benefits  which  he  enjoys  on  earth,  because  thej  are 
gifts  and  tokens  of  the  loving-kindness,  and  the  tender  mercy 
of  his  heavenly  Sovereign.  The  unbdiever  may  indeed  see 
and  partake  of  all  these  gifts,  but  he  undeirstaittcis  not  their 
token,  he  discerns  not  the  love  of  God  in  these  earthly 
things,  and  therefore  treats  them  as  commoii  matters,  and 
neither  receives  nor  acknowledges  them  as  they  deserve. 
The  monarch,  without  his  crown,  passes  unnoticed  as  a  com- 
mon man  amid  the  crowd  of  human  beings ;  and  so,  like- 
wise, every  temporal  mercy,  beheld  without  the  love  of  God 
in  Christ  upon  it,  passes  unheeded  in  the  crowd  of  common 
blessings.  The  heathen,  the  untutored  child,  and  the  merely 
nominal  Christian,  may  fix  their  eyes  with  admiration  upon 
the  bow  of  promise,  oiroling  resplendent  upon  the  threaten- 
ing cloud  ;  but  they  see  it  not  as  a  sign — they  regard  it  not 
as  a  token  of  the  love  and  the  faithfulness  of  Jehovah,  Tho 
eye  of  llie  true  believer,  however,  no  sooner  rests  upon  Uuit 


AND  TENDER  MERCY.  85 

common  sight,  than  he  recognizes  God  in  covenant,  faithful 
to  his  promise  for  a  thousand  generations  ;  it  ceases  imme- 
diately, therefore,  to  be  a  common,  and  becomes  to  him  a 
royal  rainbow,  for  its  radiant  span  appears  to  his  eye  crowned 
with  the  loving-kindness  and  the  tender  mercy  of  the  King 
of  heaven. 

This  is  the  true  spiritual  alchymy  rtiat  turns  all  things  to 
gold.  This  is  the  sure  elixir  of  life.  This  is  the  pure  joy. 
This  is  the  one  grand  transforming  and  transporting  thought, 
to  see  the  love  of  our  redeeming  God  in  everything,  and  to 
behold  all  that  we  possess  crowned  with  His  loving-kindness 
and  His  tender  mercies.  Oh,  thrice  happy  human  spirit, 
that  can  thus  search,  and  see,  and  meet  with  God. 

"In  evei*y  smiling  happy  liour 
Be  this  our  sweet  employ : 
This  thought  refines  our  earthly  bliss 
And  doubles  all  our  joy." 

Behold  the  crown  of  the  believer  !  It  surpasses  in  lustre 
every  earthly  diadem.  The  materials  of  which  that  crown  is 
composed,  are  as  pure  as  they  are  imperishaJble.  What  are 
the  gold  and  the  jewels  of  the  monarch,  compared  with  this 
crown  of  the  believing  soul  1  Is  it  not  wrought  with  the 
pure  gold  of  Divine  love  1  Is  it  not  studded  with  the 
heavenly  jewels  of  kindness  and  mercy,  of  tenderness  and 
truth  1 

O  believer,  let  the  loving-kindness  of  your  God,  be  the 
crown  of  your  existence,  your  boast  and  your  glory,  your 
honor  and  your  joy.  Whilst  partaking  of  the  varied  bless- 
ings and  benefits  with  which  this  worjd  is  stored,  let  your 


86  CROWNED  WITH   LOVING-KINDNESS 

heart  regard  them  as  tokens  of  redeeming  love,  and  then 
every  earthly  joy  will  be  crowned  to  you  with  heavenly 
mercy. 

The  Scripture  calls  upon  us  to  thank  God  unfeignedly 
"  for  our  creation,  for  our  preservation,  and  for  all  the  bless- 
ings of  this  life,"  but  if  we  see  neither  love  nor  goodness  in 
all  these,  how  can  we  praise  Him  for  them  *?  If  we  conceive 
that  we  are  created  with  no  benevolent  design, — or  that  we 
are  preserved  only  till  some  affliction  or  destruction  over- 
takes us, — or  that  the  mercies  we  enjoy  in  the  life  that  now 
is,  are  given  merely  to  aggravate  by  contrast  the  miseries 
of  that  life  that  is  to  come,  how  can  we  regard  our  creation, 
our  preservation,  and  our  benefits,  as  real  blessings,  as  sub- 
stantial causes  for  thanksgiving  ?  But  when  we  learn  this 
precious  scriptural  doctrine,  and  are  taught  to  view  all  these 
as  visible  proofs  and  arguments  of  the  invisible  love  and 
mercy  of  God  in  Christ,  then  indeed  we  begin  to  rejoice  in 
them  with  a  holy  joy,  and  to  receive  them  all  as  royal  bless- 
ings, as  crowned  and  perfected  benefits.  Instead  of  saying 
with  the  melancholy  worldling,  "  I  wish  that  I  had  never 
been  born,"  we  will,  on  the  contrary,  laud  and  magnify  our 
great  Creator,  because  He  called  us  out  of  nothing  that  we 
might  become  the  joyful  recipients  of  His  temporal  mercies, 
and  of  his  everlasting  loving-kindnesses.  Oh  !  it  is  joy,  it 
is  bliss,  it  is  life  eternal  to  the  soul  of  man  "  to  know  God, 
and  Jesus  Christ  whom  He  hath  sent."  John  xvii.  3.  "  Thus 
saith  the  Lord,  Let  not  the  wise  man  glory  in  his  wisdom, 
neither  let  the  mighty  man  glory  in  his  might,  let  not  the 
rich  man  glory  in  hia  riches  :  But  let  him  that  glorieth  glory 


AND   TENDER   MERCY.  87 

in  this,  that  he  iinderstandeth  and  knoweth  Me,  that  I  am 
the  Lord  which  exercise  loving-kindness,  judgment,  and 
righteousness  in  the  earth :  for  in  these  things  I  delight, 
saith  the  Lord."  Jer.  ix.  23,  24. 

This,  O  Believer,  is  the  true  secret  how  to  use  this  world 
as  not  abusing  it,  to  realize  that  we  live  and  move,  and 
have  our  being  in  God.  Let  everything,  therefore,  remind 
you  of  the  love  that  God  bears  toward  you.  Let  every- 
thing inspire  you  with  gratitude  to  your  Redeemer,  w^ho 
bought  you  with  His  blood.  Then  will  evei^thing  be  used 
by  you  to  His  glory,  and  to  your  own  benefit.  The  very 
trials  of  life  will  cause  you  to  praise  Him  who  sustains  you 
under  them,  and  who  has  promised  that  He  will  either  de- 
liver you  from  their  power,  or  cause  them  to  work  together 
for  your  good.  •  Thus,  also,  the  prosperities  of  life  will  cause 
you  more  abundantly  to  bless  that  God  who  bestows  them 
upon  you  in  such  rich  profusion,  when  you  are  altogether 
unworthy  of  the  least. 

Thus  amid  all  the  changing  scenes  of  time,  and  the  endless 
diversity  of  worldly  circumstances,  whether  you  experience 
the  "  wonderful  goodness"  of  God  when  wandering  in  the 
wilderness,  or  captive  in  the  dungeon,  when  pining  under 
sickness,  or  tossed  upon  the  stormy  deep  ;  or,  on  the  other 
hand,  when  multiplied  greatly  in  fields  and  flocks,  and 
blessed  with  health  and  all  manner  of  prosperity  ;  whatevei- 
may  be  your  lot,  and  how  many  soever  may  be  its  changes ; 
— "  whoso  is  wise  and  will  observe  these  things,  even  he 
shall  understand  the  loving  kindness  of  the  Lord."  Psa. 
cvii.  43. 


88  CROWNED   WITH   LOVING-KINDNESS 

Precious  and  appropriate  are  the  terms  whicli  the  Psalm- 
ist here  employs, — "  Loving  kindness  and  tender  mercy  I" 
Compound  terms  these  are  of  a  most  comprehensive  and 
consolatory  import.  It  is  not  only  love,  nor  only  kindness, 
which  the  Psalmist  here  celebrates.  It  is  love  and  kindness 
in  beautiful  and  harmonious  combination.  Love  may  exist 
in  the  heart,  and  yet  not  have  been  exhibited  towards  us  in 
any  outward  act.  And  again,  a  kind  action  may  be  per- 
formed to  help  us  in  our  distress,  and  yet  it  may  be  pity, 
and  not  love,  which  exists  within  the  breast  of  Him  who  re- 
lieves us.  But  here,  in  this  Psalm,  David  exults  both  in 
the  love  that  prompts,  and  in  the  kindness  that  performs. 
He  recognizes  an&  acknowledges  with  joy  that  there  is  love 
in  the  heart,  and  kindness  in  the  hand,  of  God  towards  him. 
Again,  it  was  not  only  mercy  which  gladdened  the  Psalmist's 
soul,  it  was  "  tender  mercy."  The  mercy  of  the  Lord  is 
mild  and  gentle,  and  gracious  in  its  operation ;  it  is  ex- 
quisitely tender,  and  most  considerately  adapts  itself  to  our 
situation,  and  our  feelings,  to  our  fears,  and  our  necessities. 
"  The  Lord  is  very  pitiful,  and  of  tender  mercy,"  says  St. 
James,  v.  11.  David  gratefully  acknowledges,  in  another 
Psalm,  that  "  the  tender  mercies  of  the  Lord  are  over  all  his 
works."  Psa.  cxlv.  9.  And,  again,  "  Great,"  he  says,  "  are 
thy  tender  mercies,  O  Lord."  Psa.  cxix.  156.  Therefore 
he  thus  prays  for  them  continually,  "  Let  Thy  tender  mercies 
come  unto  me  that  I  may  live."  Psa.  cxix.  77.  "  0  remem- 
ber not  against  us  former  iniquities,  let  Thy  tender  mercies 
speedily  prevent  us."  Psa.  Ixxix.  8. 

The  "  loving-kindness,"  also,  of  the  Lord  has  formed  the 


AND  TENDER  MEECY.  89 

flivorite  topic  of  all  His  believing  cMdren  throughout  tlieir 
venerations.     This  has  been  their  song  in  the  house  of  their 
pilgrimage  all  the  days  of  their  life.    'Hear  how  Isaiah  ex- 
patiates upon  this  theme  in  the  fulness  of  his  heart :  "  I  will 
mention  the  loving-kindnesses  of  the  Lord,  and  the  praises 
of  the  Lord,  according  to  all  that  the  Lord  hath  bestowed 
on  us,  and  the  great  goodness  toward  the  house  of  Israel, 
wliich  he  hath  bestowed  on  them  according  to  his  mercies, 
and  according  to  the  multitude  of  his  loving-kindnesses."  Isa. 
Ixiii.  7.     David  exclaims,   "  How  excellent  is  thy  loving- 
kindness,  O  God  !  therefore  the  children  of  men  put  their 
trust   under   the   shadow   of  thy   wings."    Psa.    xxxvi.    7. 
Again,  speaking  in  the  name  of  his  fellow-worshippers,  as 
well  as  in  his  own,  he  says,  "  We  have  thought  of  thy  loving- 
kindness,  O  God,  in  the  midst  of  Thy  temple."   Psa.  xlviii.  9. 
The  loving-kindness  of  God  formed  a  most  fruitful  theme 
to   David,      It  was   his  first   subject   of  thanksgiving   on 
awaking  from  the  slumbers  of  the  night.     "  It  is  a  good 
thing  to  give  thanks  unto  the  Lord,  and  to  sing  praises  unto 
thy  name,  O  Most  High.     To  show  forth  Thy  loving-kind- 
ness in  the  morning."  Psa.  xcii.  1,  2.     It  formed  the  rallying 
point,  the  strength  and  consolation  of  his  soul  when  cast 
down  and  disquieted  within  him.     "  Yet  the  Lord  will  com- 
mand His  loving-kindness  in  the  daytime,  and  in  the  night 
His  song  shall  be  with  me,  and  my  prayer  unto  the  God  of 
my  life."  Psa.  xlii.  8.     It  constituted  the  frequent  topic  of 
his  converse  and  discourses  with  his  fellow-men.     "  I  have 
not  concealed  Thy  loving-kindness  and  Thy  truth  from  the 
great  congregation."  Psa.  xl.  10. 


90  CKOWNED   WITH  LOVING-KIND^^ESS 

The  loving-kindness  and  the  tender  mercies  of  his  God 
formed  conjointly  the  plea  and  argument  of  David's  suppli- 
cations in  very  many  Psalms.  "  Remember,  O  Lord,  Thy 
tender  mercies  and  Thy  loving-kindnesses ;  for  they  have 
been  ever  of  old."  Psa.  xxv.  6.  "  Have  mercy  upon  me, 
O  God,  according  to  Thy  loving -kindness,  according  unto  the 
multitude  of  Thy  tender  mercies,  blot  out  my  transgress- 
ions." Psa.  li.  1.  God  himself  also  makes  these  the  topics 
of  His  own  most  gracious  and  soul-reviving  declarations. 
"  Nevertheless,  My  loving-kindness  will  I  not  utterly  take 
from  him,  nor  suffer  my  faithfulness  to  fail."  Psa.  Ixxxix.  33, 
"  I  have  loved  thee  Avith  an  everlasting  love,  therefore  with 
loving-kindness  have  I  drawn  thee."  Jer.  xxxi,  3.  "  I  will 
betroth  thee  unto  Me  forever  :  yea,  I  will  betroth  thee  unto 
Me  in  righteousness,  and  in  judgment,  and  in  loving-kindness, 
and  in  mercies."  Hosea  ii.  19. 

Well,  therefore,  may  David  call  it  a  "  marvellous  loving- 
kindness."  Psa.  xvii.  7.  Marvellous  in  its  origin,  marvel- 
lous in  its  excellency,  marvellous  in  its  method  of  communi- 
cation, marvellous  in  its  immediate  effects,  and  marvellous 
in  its  everlasting  duration. 

Is  your  life,  Reader,  thus  crowned  with  the  loving-kindness, 
and  the  tender  mercies  of  your  God  and  Saviour  ?  Is  every 
earthly  benefit,  a  common,  or  a  royal,  blessing,  in  your  es- 
timation 1  Do  you  know,  and  feel,  and  continually  remem- 
ber, that  you  deserve  nothing — literally  nothing,  at  the  hand 
of  God  ?  And,  therefore,  does  even  the  smallest  mercy  ap- 
pear to  you  in  its  right  light,  as  a  bounty — as  a  bestowment 
— as  a  thing  which  tells  of  love,  and  generosity,  and  benefi- 


AND   TENDKR   MERCY.  91 

■  cence  from  above?  And  is  that  love  which  every  gift 
bespeaks,  more  precious  to  your  soul  than  the  gift  itself? 
And  does  that  love,  shining  upon  every  earthly  thing,  con- 
stitute in  your  eyes  its  beauty  and  its  honor,  its  fulness  and 
its  perfection  1  Then  surely  it  will  be  both  your  duty  and 
your  delight  to  join  heart  and  soul  with  David,  and  daily 
say,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  who  crowneth  thee  with 
loving-kindness  and  tender  mercies." 


VI 


®I]^  lt0utl]  nthitli  toitjy  ^00Jr,  itnJr  tin 

Who  satisfieth  thy  mouth  with  good  things  ;  so  that  thy"  youth 
is  renewed  like  the  eagle's. — Verse  5. 

David  had  experienced  more  than  most  other  men  the 
vicissitudes  of  life.  He  knew  both  plenty  and  penury  in 
their  varied  forms.  When  scarcity  and  famine  overspread 
the  land,  or  when  circumstances,  as  in  war  and  wandering.=5, 
deprived  him  for  a  time  of  the  enjoyment  of  abundance,  he 
had  felt  the  saddening  effects  in  corporeal  weakness  and  ex- 
haustion. The  continuance  of  want  for  any  lengthened 
period,  produces  a  wasted  and  haggard  appearance.  Prema- 
ture old  age  comes  on.  The  bloom  of  youth  gives  way  to 
the  wrinkles  of  care,  and  to  the  furrows  of  anxiety.  There 
is  neither  satisfaction  in  the  mind,  nor  energy  in  the  frame. 
The  spirit  broods  discontented  within  the  wasted  body,  and 
looks  forth  with  a  scowling  eye  upon  the  barren  fields 
around.  When,  also,  in  addition  to  all  this,  the  ravages  of 
disease  break  forth  with  power,  how  miserable  is  the  spec- 
tacle which  famished,  sullen,  sickened  man  presents  ! 

But  when  it  pleases  God  to  reverse  the  scene,  how  de- 


THE   MOUTH   SATISFIED   WITH   GOOD.  93 

lightful  is  the  contrast.  When  at  His  command  the  clouds 
drop  water,  and  the  sun  smiles  with  blessing  upon  the  land : 
when  the  fields  produce  their  grain,  the  trees  their  fruit,  and 
the  flocks  multiply  in  the  fold:  when  peace  returns  after 
war,  health  after  sickness,  and  plenty  after  famine,  how 
changed  is  both  the  spirit  and  the  aspect  of  the  inhabitants. 
Anxieties  begin  to  lessen,  and  hopes  to  rise  within  each 
breast.  Fears  and  listlessness  give  place  to  cheerfulness 
and  activity.  Mourning  and  discontent  are  heard  no  longer. 
God  has  bestowed  his  "  good  things."  The  stricken  recipi- 
ent partakes  thereof  abundantly.  His  desires  become  satis- 
fied. His  disease  abates.  His  strength  returns.  His  eye 
brightens,  and  his  face  beams  again  with  renewed  health. 
David  had  experienced  this  outward  and  inward  renovation. 
He  reminds  his  soul  of  the  painful  story  of  the  past,  by  re- 
hearsing to  it  this  pleasant  story  of  the  present.  He  rouses 
it  to  gratitude  for  the  Lord's  gracious  bestowliients,  saying, 
"  who  satisfieth  thy  mouth  with  good  things,  so  that  thy 
youth  is  renewed  like  the  eagle's." 

Birds  after  their  moulting  season  appear  to  have  renewed 
their  youth.  Heavy  and  drooping  for  a  time,  losing  their 
strength  and  their  feathers  together,  they  have,  as  it  were, 
suddenly  grown  old.  But  after  awhile,  their  note  becomes 
more  cheerful,  and  their  actions  livelier ;  fresh  feathers  cover, 
and  fresh  strength  re-animates,  them  ;  they  appear  to  have 
suddenly  grown  young  again.  The  eagle  presents  a  re- 
markable instance  of  this  change,  which  must  have  been 
familiar  to  the  mind  of  David  from  his  childhood.  That 
noble  bird,  though  attaining  to  a  great  age,  appears  after 


94  THE   MOUTH   SATISFIED   WITH   GOOD, 

every  moulting  season,  to  have  renewed  its  youth ;  acquiring 
with  fresh  plumage,  a  fresh  energy  and  strength.  Thus  it 
affords  a  suitable  and  appropriate  emblem  of  man,  when  re- 
newed in  his  spiritual  and  bodily  powers  by  the  blessing  of 
his  God. 

When  our  great  Creator  and  Preserver  vouchsafes  abun- 
dant sustenance,  crowning  the  year  with  His  goodness,  open- 
ing His  hand  liberally,  and  plentifully  satisfying  the  want 
of  every  living  thing ;  when  He  gives  us  food,  and  an  ap- 
petite to  enjoy  it ;  and  imparts  a  contented  and  a  thankful 
spirit,  so  that  instead  of  continually  craving  after  more,  we 
feel  "  satisfied"  with  the  good  things  already  bestowed ; 
when,  especially.  He  blesses  these  good  things  to  the  renewal 
of  our  strength  after  disease,  and  gladdens  our  soul  within 
us  by  the  visitations  of  His  holy  Spirit,  then,  indeed,  we 
may  be  compared  to  the  eagle  after  its  moulting  season  is 
over,  joyous  in  its  renewed  condition,  and  vigorous  in  all  its 
resuscitated  powers.  Who  would  not  say  with  David  in 
such  a  case,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  all  that  is 
within  me,  bless  His  holy  name.  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my 
soul,  and  forget  not  all  His  benefits,  who  satisfieth  thy  mouth 
with  good  things,  so  that  thy  youth  is  renewed  like  the 
eagle's"  1 

Millions  upon  millions  of  beings  depend  upon  their  Crea- 
tor, and  none  of  them  depend  in  vain.  His  resources  are 
infinite  beyond  their  wants.  He  satisfies  the  young  lions 
when  they  cry,  and  feeds  each  little  raven  in  its  nest.  It  is 
"  good"  and  not  "  evil"  which  the  Lord  bestows.  To  man 
he  is  not  only  a  Creator,  but  likewise  a  Redeemer ;  and 


AND   THE   STKENGTH   RENEWED.  95 

both  in  nature  and  in  grace,  He  has  made  a  full  provision 
of  "  good  things,"  to  "  satisfy"  the  wants  both  of  body  and 
of  soul.  St.  Peter  declares  that  "  according  to  His  divine 
power,  He  hath  given  unto  us  all  things  that  pertain  unto 
life  and  godliness,"  2  Peter  i.  3  ;  and  St.  Paul  exclaims, 
"  Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
who  hath  blessed  us  with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  heavenly 
places  in  Christ."  Eph.  i.  3.  Through  the  knowledge  and 
participation  of  these  "  good  things,"  we  obtain  deliverance 
from  spiritual  weakness  and  disease,  we  "  escape  the  corrup- 
tion that  is  in  the  world."  In  a  special  sense,  also,  we  may 
be  said  thereby  to  "  renew  our  youth,"  that  is  to  become 
again  "  partakers  of  the  Divine  nature."  In  the  infancy  of 
his  creation,  man  possessed  the  image  of  his  Maker,  and  en- 
joyed God's  strength  in  his  soul.  When  we  are  "  new-born" 
of  the  Lord  the  Spirit,  we  are,  as  it  were,  re-stamped  with 
that  original  image,  and  are  renewed  with  the  spiritual  power 
and  energy  of  our  primeval  youth.  "  They  that  wait  upon 
the  Lord  shall  renew  their  strength ;  they  shall  mount  up 
with  wings  as  eagles ;  they  shall  run,  and  not  be  weary ;  and 
they  shall  walk,  and  not  faint."  Isa.  xl.  31. 

Great  is  the  "  satisfaction"  of  those  who  partake  of  the 
provision  of  grace.  They  eat,  and  never  hunger;  they 
drink,  and  never  thirst.  The  soul  that  trusts  in  Jesus  shall 
never  want.  All  fulness  dwells  in  Him ;  and  of  His  fulness 
have  all  we  received,  and  grace  for  grace.  "  In  Him  arc 
hid  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge :"  and  "  He  is 
of  God  made  unto  us  wisdom,  and  righteousness,  sanctifi- 
cation,  and  redemption."  1  Cor.  i.  30.     United  to  Christ,  we 


96  THE   MOUTH   SATISFIED   WITH   GOOD, 

are  "  complete :"  He  is  our  Head,  and  from  Him  all  the 
body,  having  notirishment  ministered,  increaseth  with  the  in- 
crease of  God.  Col.  ii.  3,  9,  19.  He  is  the  Vine,  and  from 
Him,  not  only  the  nearest,  but  also  the  remotest,  members ; 
the  smallest  tendrils,  equally  with  the  largest  branches,  re- 
ceive their  nourishment  and  their  fruitfulness.  Christ  is  the 
I]ountain  overflowing  with  blessings  ;  we  have  but  to  "  open 
our  mouth  wide,"  and  He  will  "  fill  it"  with  "  good  things," 
to  our  immediate,  constant,  and  everlasting  "  satisfaction." 

The  "  good  things"  of  this  life,  are  the  gifts  of  God.  Our 
fields  and  gardens  are  rendered  fruitful  only  by  His  bless- 
ing. It  is  the  living  God  who  "  giveth  us  richly  all  things 
to  enjoy."  1  Tim.  vi.  17.  In  the  blindness  of  our  minds, 
we  lose  sight  of  the  Giver  amid  the  abundance  of  His  gifts. 
"Without  the  continual  upholding  of  our  God,  all  things 
would  soon  cease  to  exist.  Why  does  the  same  field,  culti- 
vated by  the  same  hand,  and  enriched  by  the  same  supplies, 
ever  vary  in  the  return  it  yields  ?  Why  is  its  produce  in 
one  year  scanty,  and  in  another  plentiful  1  The  Scriptures 
furnishes  us  with  the  solution.  The  hand  of  the  Lord  dis- 
penses according  to  his  own  good  pleasure.  The  believer, 
therefore,  while  enjoying  those  "  good  things,"  which  the  in- 
dustry of  man  procures,  recognizes  them  as  all  provided  by 
the  goodness  of  his  God.  Improvements  in  agriculture,  and 
in  every  useful  science,  he  contemplates  with  much  thank- 
fulness. He  regards  these  as  means,  by  which  the  God  of 
heaven  increases  the  fertility  of  the  earth.  He  looks,  how* 
ever,  beyond  the  framework,  and  the  movements,  of  the  vis- 
ible machinery,  and  he  fixes  the  eye  of  his  mind  upon  the 


AND   THE   STRENGTH   RENEWED.  97 

unseen  and  ever-moving  power — the  Great  First  Cause. 
(See  Isa.  xxviii.  23 — 29.)  Whatever,  therefore,  may  be  the 
intermediate  sources  from  whence  he  derives  his  comfort  or 
his  sustenance,  the  believer  looks  ever  upward,  because  he 
knows  that  "  every  good  and  every  perfect  gift  is  from 
above,  and  cometh  down  from  the  Father  of  Lights."  James 
i.  17. 

Real  contentment  is  only  to  be  derived  from  a  knowledge 
of  God  in  Christ,  and  of  all  things  centred  in  Him,  issuing 
from  Him,  and  distributed  by  Him.  It  is  because  the  be- 
liver  thus  looks  to  the  dispensing  hand  of  his  God  and  Sav- 
iour, that  he  is  "  satisfied  "  with  all  his  circumstances  in  life. 
Confidence  in  the  paternal  government  of  his  heavenly 
Father,  and  a  firm  conviction  that  all  things  here  below  are 
ordamed  in  the  hands  of  the  ^lediator,  his  elder  Brother,  en- 
able him  to  say,  "  I  have  learned  in  whatsoever  state  I  am, 
therewith  to  be  content.  I  know  both  how  to  be  abased, 
and  I  know  how  to  abound  :  everywhere,  and  in  all  things, 
I  am  instructed,  both  to  be  full  and  to  be  hungry,  both  to 
abound  and  to  suffer  need.  I  can  do  all  things  through 
Christ  which  strengtheneth  me."  Phil.  iv.  11 — 13. 

To  rest  satisfied  with  that  portion  which  God  has  allotted, 
is  the  incumbent  duty  of  every  man.  Alas  !  few  are  really 
contented,  really  "  satisfied."  They  set  their  hearts  on  some- 
thing above  and  beyond  that  which  they  at  present  enjoy, 
and  consequently  the  mercies  which  they  actually  possess, 
cease  to  afford  their  former  gratification.  So  chequered  is 
the  present  life,  that  there  is  no  man  without  a  trial  of  some 
kind  or  another  in  his  earthly  lot.     If  he  look  only  and  con- 


98  THE   MOUTH   SATISFIED   WITH   GOOD, 

tinually  to  that  trial,  comparing  his  condition  with  what  he 
supposes  it  might  have  been,  or  contrasting  his  position  with 
others  above  him,  he  may  indeed  fret  himself  to  death  over 
his  real  and  his  imaginary  troubles.  The  more  he  indulges 
this  temper,  the  stronger  will  it  become,  till,  as  his  besetting 
sin  wilfully  encouraged,  it  will  gain  the  mastery  over  him, 
and  drive  him  further  and  further  in  estrangement  of  heart 
from  God.  The  condemnation  of  Scripture  against  mur- 
mur ers  and  complainers,  is  as  emphatic  as  it  is  universal  and 
deserved. 

We  must  resist,  continually  resist,  the  very  first  risings 
of  discontent.  Instead  of  indulging  them,  we  must  oppose 
them  in  every  possible  way.  Like  Paul,  we  must  "  learn" 
to  be  contented.  He  was  not  naturally  more  disposed  to  be 
so  than  other  men.  It  was  not  till  he  entered  the  school  of 
Christ,  that  he  acquired  that  lesson.  And  after  he  had  been 
trained  there,  he  gave  not  the  credit  to  his  own  patience  and 
endurance,  saying,  "  I  can  make  myself  contented  anywhere," 
but  wholly  to  his  Teacher,  saying,  "  I  am  instructed  both  to 
be  full  and  to  be  hungry."  Apply  thy  mind  to  this  lesson, 
O  believer.  Strive  continually  to  practice  it,  or  no  success 
can  ever  be  attained.  It  is  emphatically  a  practical  lesson, 
only  to  be  learned  by  exercising  it.  Try  to  feel  "  satisfied," 
with  your  lot.  Try  to  be  thankful  in  your  every  thought, 
and  to  show  that  you  are  so,  by  all  your  words  and  deeds. 
Try  to  view  things  always  in  their  right  light.  Try  to  look 
at  the  bright  side  of  everything.  Pray  for  a  contented  and 
an  unrepining  spirit.  Strive  against  a  peevish  fretful  dis- 
position.    Beware  of  finding  fault  with  God's  arrangements. 


AND   THE   STRENGTH   RENEWED.  99 

Remember  that  you  deserve  nothing,  that  you  have  forfeit- 
ed everything,  and  that  all  you  have  belongs  to  Christ,  and 
comes  from  Him  to  you,  and  still  belongs  to  Him  equally 
as  before.  Thank  Him,  therefore,  for  everything.  Culti- 
vate the  habit  of  thankfulness.  Give  way  to  grateful  feel- 
ings. Give  no  way  to  murmuring  thoughts.  Be  ashamed 
of  yourself  when  an  envious,  or  a  covetous,  or  a  discontent- 
ed feeling  rises  within.  Check  yourselves  whenever  a  hasty 
word  of  complaint  is  about  to  escape  your  lips.  Make  haste 
to  rectify  and  recall  it,  before  your  fellow-men,  if  already 
uttered,  and  to  confess  and  bewail  it  before  God  !  Never 
did  a  single  murmur  issue  from  the  lips  of  Jesus,  or  rise  / 
within  His  breast.  "  He  had  not  where  to  lay  His  head,"  > 
yet  he  never  murmured.  And  dost  thou  murmur,  thou 
comfortably-lodged  disciple  ?  It  is  an  odious  thing  to  hear 
a  Christian  gi^oaning  as  he  goes,  and  ever  and  anon  speak- 
ing as  if  he  bore  his  Master's  cross.  You  pity  him,  and 
draw  near  to  help,  when  lo,  you  discover  that  the  cross  he 
carries,  is  of  his  own  making.  The  cross  which  Christ  gives, 
imparts  vigor  to  its  bearer.  Crosses  of  man's  fabrication, 
are  dead  logs  indeed,  and  heavy  burdens,  too  heavy  to  be 
borne.  Christ  will  not  strengthen  thee  under  such  a  cross. 
Cast  it  quickly  away,  or  it  will  crush  thee  to  the  earth. 
Strive,  then,  to  be  thankful.  Make  it  a  rule  every  day  to 
thank  God,  as  well  as  to  pray  to  Him.  Seek  out  to-day, 
some  blessing  that  escaped  thy  grateful  notice  yesterday ; 
and  to-morrow,  give  special  praise  for  those  mercies  for 
which  thou  hast  omitted  to  bless  God  to-day.  When  new 
objects  occur  not  to  your  mind,  recapitulate  old  ones,  as 


100  THE    MOUTH   SATISFIED   WITH   GOOD, 

David  does  in  this  Psalm.  Praise  God  that  thou  art  no 
longer  a  fretful  murmurer.  Be  thankful  that  thou  art  made 
thankful.  Bless  God  that  he  has  given  thee  a  contented 
spirit.  Consider  how  much  worse  thy  case  might  have  been 
— ^how  much  worse  it  ought  to  have  been.  Consider  how 
much  longer  thou  mightest  have  been  left  in  pain,  or  in  pov- 
erty, or  in  perplexity.  Consider  the  multitudes  of  thy  fel- 
low-creatures, who  are  placed  in  circumstances  fir  more  try- 
ing than  thine.  Most  men,  under  trials,  are  tempted  to 
think  each  that  his  own  case  is  the  worst,  and  that  his  own 
hardships  are  the  greatest ;  but  it  is  very  wrong,  very  un- 
grateful, to  give  way  to  that  temptation.  Satan,  doubtless, 
will  often  insinuate  such  thoughts  into  thy  mind.  Remem- 
ber there  is  no  sin  in  the  mere  fact  that  thou  art  tempted. 
Our  blessed  Saviour  himself  was  led  up  of  the  Spirit,  to  be 
tempted  by  the  devil.  Matt.  iv.  1.  The  sin  lies  in  giving 
way  to  the  temptation.  Jesus  continually  resisted  the 
tempter.  He  invariably  answered,  "  It  is  written."  Imitate, 
then,  thy  Saviour,  keep  close  to  Scripture,  and  thou  shalt  be 
safe.  It  is  written,  "  Be  content  with  such  things  as  ye 
have  :  for  He  hath  said,  I  will  never  leave  thee,  I  will  never 
forsake  thee."  Heb.  xiii.  5.  To  every  insinuation  of  the 
tempter,  instantly  reply,  "  It  is  written,  Be  content  with 
such  things  as  ye  have."  Settle  it  well  in  thy  mind,  that 
the  things  thou  hast,  be  they  less  or  more  than  those  of  thy 
neighbors,  are  measured  out  to  thee  by  thy  God  and  Sav- 
iour. Let  this,  then,  be  an  indisputable  argument  for  thy 
contentment,  under  all  possible  circumstances  of  thy  earthly 
lot.     Satisfied  with  trials  and  sorrows,  with  sickness  and 


AND   THE   STRENGTH   RENEWED.  101 

poverty,  thou  canst  never  be.  Thy  Lord  does  not  expect 
thee  to  be  so.  But  when  thou  hast  "  learned"  to  regard 
them  as  dispensed  by  a  wise,  and  loving,  heavenly  Friend, 
then  thou  canst  be  contented  under  them.  This  is  the  con- 
tentment which  God  demands  of  thee.  Be  satisfied,  like  the 
Prophet,  with  God  Himself  as  your  all-sufficient  portion, 
and  then,  like  him,  thou  wilt  be  contented  under  all  His  dis- 
pensations :  "  Although  the  fig-tree  shall  not  blossom,  neither 
shall  fruit  be  in  the  vines  ;  the  labor  of  the  olive  shall  fail, 
and  the  fields  shall  yield  no  meat ;  the  flock  shall  be  cut  off 
from  the  fold,  and  there  shall  be  no  herd  in  the  stalls :  yet  I 
will  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  salva- 
tion." Hab.  iii.  17,  18. 

The  tide  of  gratitude  increases  as  it  flows.  It  rises  higher 
and  higher  both  before  and  around  us,  and  extends  itself  widely 
on  every  side.  When  we  render  thanksgivings  to  our  God 
and  Saviour  for  one  mercy,  a  second  presents  itself  to  view, 
then  a  third,  then  a  fourth,  then  others  successively  arise, 
and  roll  in  upon  our  remembrance.  The  goodness  and  the 
mercy  of  the  Lord  are,  like  the  mighty  deep,  unfathomable. 
His  acts  of  love  are,  as  the  ocean  waves,  innumerable  ;  and 
innumerable,  therefore,  should  be  our  acts  of  thanksgiving  : 

My  soul,  in  pleasing  -wonder  lost, 

Thy  various  love  surveys  : 
Where  shall  my  grateful  lips  begin  ? 

Or  where  conclude  Thy  praise  ? 

Gratitude  increases  as  we  ofier  thanks,  and  mercies  mul- 
tiply as  we  contemplate  them.  A  poor  woman  had  fallen 
into  a  melancholy  and  murmuring  frame  of  mind.     She 


102  THE   MOUTH   SATISFIED   WITH   GOOD, 

made  no  effort  to  check  the  temptation,  but  considered  that 
she  "  did  well  to  be  angry"  and  to  complain.  Her  minister 
tried  every  argument  in  his  power,  but  all  to  no  purpose. 
He  spoke  to  her  of  temporal  and  of  spiritual  mercies,  but 
no  response  of  gratitude  was  awakened.  She  said  that  she 
had  "  nothing  in  body  or  soul  to  be  thankful  for."  Lifting 
up  his  heart  in  prayer  to  God  for  wisdom,  he  inquired, 
"  Does  not  your  neighbor's  husband  drink  when  he  is 
out,  and  beat  her  when  he  comes  home  ?"  "  Yes,"  was  the 
only  reply.  "  Does  your  husband  do  so  to  you  f  "  No," 
was  the  reluctant  answer.  "  Well  then,  should  not  you 
thank  God  that  you  have  a  kind  husband  f  No  reply  w^as 
returned.  The  inquiry  was  several  times  repeated,  till  an 
assent  was  obtained.  The  minister  said  he  would  not  leave, 
till  she  promised  to  thank  God  for  this  mercy,  night  and 
morning,  upon  her  bended  knees.  Having,  at  last,  obtained 
her  promise,  he  said  to  her  at  parting,  "  I  have  now  shown 
you  one  thing  which  you  have  to  be  thankful  for,  and  you 
must  keep  your  promise  till  I  see  you  again."  Intentionally 
delaying  his  return,  several  days  elapsed  before  he  revisited 
her  dwelling.  But  what  a  different  woman  met  him  now. 
"  Oh,"  she  exclaimed,  "  I  have  longed  to  see  you,  I  have 
wished  to  thank  you.  For  a  morning  or  two,  I  did  as  I 
promised,  but  I  did  not  rightly  feel  w^hat  I  said.  Then,  one 
day,  when  I  was  thanking  God  that  I  had  a  kind  husband,  I 
thought  I  should  thank  Him  that  I  had  healthy  children ; 
and  when  I  was  thanking  him  for  that,  I  thought  I  should 
thank  Him  that  I  had  bread  to  put  into  their  mouths  ;  and 
when  I  was  thanking  the  Lord  for  that,  I   thought  that  I 


AND   THE   STRENGTH   RENEWED.  103 

should  thank  Him  that  I  had  clothes  to  put  on  their  backs 
and  a  house  to  cover  their  heads  ;  and  so,  Sir,  when  I  was 
thanking  God  for  one  thing,  another  came  into  my  head,  and 
another  still,  and  now  I  know  not  where  to  stop,  or  how  to 
thank  Him  enough  ;  and  I  feel  so  happy." 

Thus  gratitude  increases  with  use.  The  more  thankful  we 
are,  the  more  thankful  we  shall  become,  and  the  more  we 
shall  have  to  be  thankful  for.  The  truly  humbled,  spiritual, 
mind,  will  learn  the  lesson  of  thankfulness  from  the  most 
common  things,  yea  even  from  the  most  revolting.  "  Re- 
markable is  the  story  of  the  poor  old  man,  whom  a  bishop 
found  most  bitterly  weeping  over  an  ugly  toad.  Being 
asked  the  reason  of  his  tears  ;  his  answer  was,  '  I  weep,  be- 
cause, that  whereas  God  might  have  m.ade  me  as  ugly  and 
filthy  a  creature  as  the  toad,  and  hath  not,  I  have  yet  never, 
in  all  my  life,  been  thankful  to  Him  for  it.' " — Lightfoot, 
vol.  4,  p.  63. 

Grievous  is  it  when  we  reflect  how  insensible  we  are  to 
our  smallest  mercies,  and  how  ungrateful  for  our  highest 
blessings.  A  visitor  to  an  asylum,  was  solemnly  and  sud- 
denly reminded  of  his  great  sin  in  the  latter  respect.  As 
he  passed  among  the  poor  lunatics,  one  of  them  walked  di- 
rectly toward  him  and  abruptly  said,  "  Have  you  ever 
thanked  God  for  your  reason  T'  He  uttered  not  another 
word,  but  darted  off  without  waiting  for  a  reply,  leaving  his 
question  to  sink  deep,  as  well  it  might,  into  the  mind  of  the 
visitor. 

All  the  gifts  of  God  "  are  good  :"  and  therefore  they 
afford  a  solid  and  lasting  satisfaction.     It  is  not  after  this 


104  THE   MOUTH  SATISFIED   WITH   GOOD, 

manner  "  that  the  world  gives."  John  xiv.  27.  Pleasures, 
honors,  and  possessions,  either  pall,  or  perish  in  the  using. 
The  immortal  soul  within  us,  can  never  be  satisfied  with 
such  things  as  these.  There  is  a  felt  void  and  weariness  in 
every  enjoyment  apart  from  God.  His  love  transforms  all 
things  to  gold.  The  world's  love  transforms  them  all  to 
dross.  We  must  have  other  treasure  than  this  earth  can 
furnish,  before  the  heart  can  be  truly  "  satisfied."  The  soul, 
spiritual  and  immortal,  must  have  a  treasure  pure,  spiritual, 
and  everlasting.  And  God  has  given  us  such  a  treasure  : 
He  has  given  us  Himself  in  Christ  Jesus.  And  where  our 
treasure  is,  there  should  our  hearts  be  also.  Matt.  vi.  21. 
Happy  is  the  man  who  can  truly  say — 

God  is  the  treasure  of  my  soul, 

The  source  of  lasting  joy; 
A  joy  ^hich  want  shall  not  impair, 

Nor  death  itself  destroy. 

Oh  what  a  renovation  of  heart  and  strength  does  the  bless- 
ing of  God  ensure  !  He  satisfies  the  mouth  with  temporal, 
and  the  heart  with  spiritual,  "  good  things,"  and  he  blesses 
each  of  these  so  effectually,  that  they  invigorate  the  entire 
man,  both  in  soul  and  body.  "  His  blessing  maketh  rich, 
and  He  addeth  no  sorrow  with  it."  We  may  see  wealth 
flow  suddenly  upon  an  individual,  but  ere  long  we  observe 
also  sorrows  following  in  its  train.  While  the  world  gazes 
with  admiration  on  the  so-called  fortunate  possessor  of  the 
first,  he  perhaps  is  feeble  and  careworn  under  the  secret 
pressure  of  the  last.  But  God's  blessing  adds  no  sorrow 
with  the  good  things  which  He  bestows.    It  yields  a  full  and 


AND   THE   STEENGTH   RENEWED.  105 

permanent  satisfliction — a  satisfaction  without  a  single  draw- 
back. The  spirit  is  in  peace,  and  the  body  is  in  health. 
God  has  satisfied  the  one,  and  He  has  renovated  the  other. 
A  calm  and  placid  contentment  relieves  and  sustains  both 
the  mind  and  the  frame  of  him,  whom  Jesus  heals  by  His 
Spirit  and  by  His  power,  "renewing  youth"  or  health  in  each. 

How  delightful  is  the  period  of  convalescence.  After  a 
long  interval  of  sickness,  the  play  of  health  again  begins  to 
be  sensibly  felt  within  our  frame.  We  have  been  chastened 
with  pain  upon  our  bed,  and  the  multitude  of  our  bones 
with  strong  pain  :  "  so  that  our  life  abhorred  bread,  and  our 
soul  dainty  meat."  But  now  the  Lord  has  become  gracious 
unto  us.  At  the  voice  of  our  cry,  He  has  sent  deliverance 
and  restoration.  "  By  His  blessing  our  flesh  has  become 
fresher  than  a  child's  : — We  have  returned  to  the  days  of 
our  youth."  Job  xxxiii.  25.  The  long-closed  casement  is  at 
last  thrown  open,  and  the  languid  patient  inhales  with  de- 
light the  fresh  air  of  heaven.  It  is  joy  to  breathe.  We 
look  upon  the  movements,  and  the  activities,  of  our  fellow 
men,  with  wonder  and  delight.  We  marvel  at  the  ease 
with  which  the  laborer  plies  his  work,  and  at  the  agility 
which  the  children  exhibit  in  their  various  sports. 

When  our  strength  is  sufficiently  advanced,  we  issue  forth 
from  the  chamber  of  sickness  with  glad  and  grateful  hearts. 
We  look  around  upon  old  scenes  with  new  feelings,  and 
with  fresh  impressions.  Everything  seems  invested  with 
new  charms.  It  is  joy  to  walk,  to  gaze,  to  listen,  to  stand 
and  inhale  the  refreshing  breeze.  The  enamelled  sky  again 
rivets  our  attention.     It«  blue  expanse  appears  more  clfcv^* 

5* 


106  THE   MOUTH   SATISFIED   WITH   GOOD, 

and  deep.  The  sun  shines  to  our  eye  more  brilliantly  than 
before.  The  clouds  appear  more  soft  and  silvery.  The 
motions  of  the  birds,  how  swift,  how  light,  how  graceful,  do 
they  seem.  The  sea  also  attracts  our  admiration.  Im- 
mense, profound,  it  inspires  us  with  awe,  and  its  ever-varying 
surface  glancing  in  the  sunbeam,  fills  us  with  delight.  Every 
sense  we  possess  brings  an  addition  to  our  pleasure.  How 
invigorating  is  the  air  to  the  enfeebled  frame.  How  fair 
seem  the  fields  to  the  long-imprisoned  eye.  How  sweet 
once  more  to  the  ear  is  the  humming  of  the  bee,  and  the 
warbling  of  the  birds.  How  fragrant  are  the  flowers.  How 
sweet  are  the  fruits.     It  is  very  joy  to  live. 

We  are  conducted  to  the  garden,  we  are  placed  upon  tlie 
lawn,  or  a  seat  is  provided  for  us  beside  the  refreshing 
stream.  The  water  runs  swift  and  clear,  and  its  gentle 
voice  seems  to  be  ever  praising  the  God  who  bade  it  flow. 
The  ear  listens  with  delight  to  its  unceasing  music,  and  the 
eye  watches  with  interest  the  various  motions  of  its  sportive 
inhabitants.  Some  we  observe  glide  slowly  from  side  to 
side ;  others  lie  still  and  motionless  in  the  current ;  some 
are  floating  downward  with  the  stream,  while  others  are 
forcing  their  way  vigorously  against  it — and  suddenly  hosts 
of  young  ones  shoot  rapidly  into  view,  as  if  contending  in  a 
race — here  they  are  hiding  under  the  stones,  there  they  are 
leaping  into  the  air.  How  pleasant  and  joyous  is  the  sight. 
All  nature  rejoices.  The  sun  seems  to  bestow  a  smile  upon 
the  scene,  and  the  sparkling  waters  to  return  it.  The  heart 
of  the  invalid  is  gladdened  within  him,  and  his  strength  is 
renewed  by  its  gush  of  joy. 


AND   THE   STRENGTH   RKNKWED.  107 

But  purer,  and  higher,  and  more  holy,  is  the  joy  of  the 
Christian  convalescent,  when,  from  these  sweet  scenes  of 
nature,  he  returns  again  to  his  chamber.  His  soul  is  "  sat- 
isfied" with  goodness, — it  is  overflowing  with  spiritual  emo- 
tion. He  goes  with  all  his  happiness  to  his  God,  and  thanks 
Him  for  it.  He  falls  upon  his  bended  knees,  and  pours 
forth  his  heart  in  prayer  and  praise,  "  O  Thou  Preserver  of 
my  life.  Thou  Restorer  of  my  strength,  O  Chi'ist,  Thou  good 
Physician  of  my  soul  and  body,  I  bless  Thee  for  this  day  in 
which  again  I  have  walked  abroad.  I  thank  Thee  for  the 
light  and  for  the  sun,  for  the  balmy  air  and  for  the  fragrant 
flowers,  for  the  winged  insects  and  for  the  warbling  birds, 
for  the  flowing  streams  and  for  their  finny  tribes.  I  bless 
Thee  for  the  garden  and  its  produce,  for  the  trees,  and  for 
their  varied  fruits.  I  bless  Thee  for  my  kind  friends,  and 
for  my  many  comforts — this  room,  this  house,  this  bed,  this 
couch,  my  fire,  my  food,  my  medicine.  I  thank  Thee  for 
my  spared  life,  and  for  my  renewed  ability  to  walk,  to  see, 
to  hear,  to  think,  to  speak.  Above  all,  I  thank  Thee  for 
this  sacred  volume ;  for  Thy  throne  of  grace ;  for  Thy  in- 
structing Spirit ;  for  a  rational  mind  ;  and  for  a  heart  that 
seeks  its  happiness  in  Thee.  Oh  help  me  to  prize  my  many 
mercies,  and  to  be  increasingly  thankful  for  them  all.  Give 
me  grace  to  use  them  as  I  ought,  and  to  devote  them  to  Thy 
glory.  I  dedicate  myself  anew  to  Thee.  The  first  fruits  of 
my  preserved  life,  and  of  my  renevred  health,  I  consecrate 
to  Tliy  service.  From  this  day,  let  me  become  more  wholly 
Thine.  Thou  art  my  gracious  Master.  Thou  hast  bought 
me  with    Thv   precious   blood.      Thee    only   will    I    serve 


108  THE   MOUTH   SATISFIED  WITH  GOOD. 

throughout  the  whole  remainder  of  my  existence.  I  confess 
my  utter  unworthiness  before  Thee,  my  multiplied  sins  and 
provocations ;  and  that  in  very  faithfulness  Thou  hast 
afflicted  me.  O  pardon  my  many  shortcomings,  my  great 
ingratitude.  Forgive  the  waywardness,  the  fickleness,  the 
selfishness  of  my  heart.  Renew  my  soul  with  spiritual 
youth.  Bring  me  back  to  my  first  love.  Keep  me  ever 
growing  in  grace,  in  humility,  in  meekness,  in  thankfulness, 
in  purity  of  heart,  in  entire  devotedness  to  Thy  service. 
Dwell  in  me  by  Thy  Spirit.  Restore  me  to  Thine  image. 
Prepare  me  for  Thy  glory.  And  '  when  Thou  comest  in 
Thy  kingdom,  Lord,  remember  me,'  so  that  Thy  poor  un- 
worthy servant  may  be  found,  with  Thy  redeemed,  ascribing 
to  Thy  most  blessed  name,  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy 
Ghost,  one  God,  all  glory  and  power,  all  thanksgiving  and 
praise,  forever,  and  forevermore.   Amen." 


VII. 

t  f  iyr&  n'Uttting  luJrptntt  fat  t\)t 


The  Lord  executeth  righteousness  and  judgment  for  all  that 
are  oppressed. — Verse  6. 

Among  the  benefits  for  which  the  believer  should  give 
thanks  unto  his  God,  this  is  not  the  least  that  he  has  an 
Almighty  Friend  to  "  take  his  part."  Psa.  cxviii.  7.  Satan 
is  the  great  adversary  of  all  who  love  the  Lord.  The  world 
and  the  flesh  are  utterly  hostile  to  His  holy  and  self-denying 
service.  David  found  this  to  be  the  case  in  the  church  of 
old,  and  we  find  it  to  be  still  the  same  in  the  church  now. 

The  Lord  God  Almighty  has  condescended  to  call  Him- 
self the  "  Friend"  of  His  people.  He  proves  Himself  to  be 
so  in  two  capacities  ;  for,  first.  He  is  not  only  their  faithful 
Defender,  but,  secondly.  He  is  also  their  sure  Avenger. 
Whether  Satan  or  men  oppress  "  the  little  flock"  that  be- 
lieve in  Him,  He  will,  sooner  or  later,  certainly  execute 
righteous  judgment  on  their  behalf.  The  present  chequered 
scene  is  not  to  continue  forever.  The  last  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment prophets  complained  that  in  his  day  they  called  "  the 
proud  happy,  yea,  they  that  work  wickedness,"  lie   says, 


110      THE  LORD  EXECUTING  JUDGMENT 

"  are  set  up  :  yea,  they  that  tempt  God  are  even  delivered." 
But  immediately  the  Lord  the  Spirit  taught  him  to  add  this 
solemn  truth,  "  Behold  the  day  cometh,  that  shall  burn  as 
an  oven  :  and  all  the  proud,  yea,  and  all  that  do  wickedly, 
shall  be  as  stubble ;  and  the  day  that  cometh  shall  burn 
them  up  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts."  Then  shall  it  come  to 
pass  that  we  shall  "  return"  from  the  dust,  and  shall  fally 
and  finally  "  discern"  between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked  : 
"  between  him  that  serve th  God,  and  him  that  serveth  Him 
not."  Mai.  iii.  and  iv. 

Retribution  is  positive.  Its  hour  is  appointed,  but  not 
yet  arrived.  Meantime,  however,  even  in  this  present  life, 
God  exercises  a  providential  judgment.  Righteousness  is 
the  Lord's  delight.  He  hateth  wickedness  and  oppression. 
The  poor,  the  widow,  and  the  fatherless,  have  an  unseen 
Defender,  who  will  "  come  near  to  judgment,"  and  will  be 
a  "  swift  witness"  against  "  all  oppressors."  Mai.  iii.  5.  The 
Lord  will  never  suffer  His  people  to  be  trampled  on  with 
impunity.  Solemn  and  emphatic  are  the  words  by  which 
He  appropriates  retribution  exclusively  to  Himself:  "  Ven- 
geance is  mine,  I  will  repay,  saith  the  Lord."  Rom.  xii.  19. 
Fearful,  therefore,  is  the  condition  of  those  who  make  the 
Almighty  God  their  foe,  by  oppressing  and  casting  down 
His  people.  He  is  a  just  God  ;  and  it  were  better  for  such 
persons  that  they  had  never  been  born,  or  that  they  had.  been 
drowned  in  the  depths  of  the  sea  before  they  incurred  His 
righteous  vengeance  ;  for  as  certainly  as  the  wicked  executes 
violence  against  the  just,  so  assuredly  "  the  Lord  executeth 
righteousness  and  judgment  for  all  that  are  oppressed. 


FOR   THE    OPPRESSED.  Ill 

How  consolatory  and  sustaining   to   the  persecuted  be-/ 
liever  is  this  truth,  that  God  is  his  Protector.     No  wonder) 
that  the  Son  of  Jesse  places  this  upon  his  list  of  benefits  re- 
ceived, and  acknowledges  it  with  a  devout  heart,  and  with 
fervent  thanksgivings.     Indeed,  David,  at  this  part  of  the  j 
Psalm,  passes  from  personal  to  general  benefits.     The  good- 
ness of  God  enlarges  his  view  of  the  Divine  benevolence, 
and  of  the  minuteness  and  the  universality  of  His  provi- 
dence.    No  longer,  therefore,  does  he  speak  only  in  his  own  I 
name,  but  in  that,  also,  of  all  the  family  of  God.     He  selects  j 
general  terms,  and  employs  the  plural  number  onward  from 
this  verse.     As  if  he  had  said  "  Here  I  hav&  enumerated 
blessings  vouchsafed  to  myself,  which  others,  also,  may  have 
enjoyed  :  now  will  I  record  benefits  common  to  all  believ- 
ers, and  some  even  to  unbelievers,  of  which  my  gracious 
Lord  has  made  me  also  a  happy  partaker." 

The  Psalmist  knew  more  than  most  men,  that  "  God  is  a 
righteous  Judge."  Psa.  vii.  11.  (Margin.)  He  rejoiced  to 
believe  that  the  "  just  Lord,"  and  Governor  of  the  Universe, 
was  interested  in  all  that  might  befall  him,  and  that  He 
would  stand  up  for  this  defence  at  the  right  time  and  in  the 
right  way.  Tliis  doctrine  was  the  root  of  his  confidence, 
and  the  foundation  of  his  strength  :  "  The  Lord  is  on  my 
side  ;"  he  exclaims,  "  I  will  not  fear  :  what  can  man  do  unto 
me  ?  The  Lord  taketh  my  part  with  them  that  help  me." 
Psa.  cxviii.  6,  7.  In  three  successive  Psalms,  the  contempt, 
the  opposition,  and  the  oppression,  of  the  unrighteous,  are 
appealed  against  to  the  Lord,  His  aid  is  implored,  and  His 
assistance  is  celebrated  :  "  Have  mercy  upon  us,  O  Lord, 


112  THE    LOED   EXECUTING  JUDGMENT 

have  mercy  upon  us :  for  we  are  exceedingly  filled  with 
contempt.  Our  soul  is  exceedingly  filled  with  the  scorning 
of  those  that  are  at  ease,  and  with  the  contempt  of  the 
proud."  Psa.  cxxiii.  3,  4.  "  If  it  had  not  been  the  Lord 
who  was  on  our  side,  now  may  Israel  say ;  If  it  had  not 
been  the  Lord  who  was  on  our  side,  when  men  rose  up 
against  us :  then  they  had  swallowed  us  up  quick,  when 
their  wrath  was  kindled  against  us."  Psa.  cxxiv.  1 — 3. 
"  As  the  mountains  are  round  about  Jerusalem,  so  the  Lord 
is  round  about  his  people  from  henceforth  even  forever. 
For  the  rod  (or  oppression)  of  the  wicked  shall  not  rest  (not 
remain  long)  upon  the  lot  of  the  righteous."  Psa.  cxxv.  2,  3. 
Every  human  being,  who  is  not  walking  in  the  narrow 
way  that  leadeth  unto  life,  presents  an  obstacle  to  the  en- 
trance of  others  upon  that  way.  He  is  a  moral  hinderance 
to  all  with  whom  he  happens  to  meet.  In  the  social  and 
domestic  intercourses  of  life,  we  are  helping  each  other  on- 
ward to  heaven,  or  onward  to  hell.  Our  looks,  our  words, 
our  casual  acts,  and  our  accustomed  habits,  have  a  powerful 
influence  on  all  with  whom  we  associate.  In  this  sense,  "  no 
man  liveth  to  himself"  His  example  tells  with  effect  upon 
his  fellows.  One  man  may  be  marked  amongst  his  neigh- 
bors as  a  firebrand,  casting  sparks  on  every  side  of  him, 
irritating  the  minds  of  others,  exciting  jealousy,  suspicion, 
and  heart-burnings  amongst  the  members  of  a  whole  com- 
munity, so  that  the  first  principles  of  religion,  the  love  of 
God  and  of  our  neighbor,  may  be  for  a  time  well  nigh 
obliterated.  Another  man  may  be  unnoticed  for  any  posi- 
tive evil,  and  yet,  by  his  destitution  of  religion,  he  may  be 


FOR  THE   OPPRESSEr>.  113 

as  a  moral  icicle  amongst  his  fellow-men,  communicating  a 
chill  to  the  spiritual  atmosphere  around  him,  cooling  the  re- 
ligion of  others,  and  producing  a  blight  on  the  souls  of  all 
with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  Cold  and  heat,  fire  and 
water,  are  not  more  repulsive  of  each  other,  than  are  light 
and  darkness,  truth  and  error.  The  tendency  of  every 
man  "born  after  the  flesh"  is  to  persecute  him  that  is  "  born 
after  the  Spirit."  The  quiet  man  is,  in  his  own  way,  as 
truly  opposed  to  vital  godliness  as  is  the  violent  man.  There 
may  be  no  outward  persecution  or  ostensible  oppression, 
but  there  will  be  the  estranged  affection,  the  averted  counte- 
nance, or  the  contemptuous  glance;  there  will  be  marked 
indifference,  or  cool  and  settled  opposition,  to  every  one 
who  speaks  to  him  earnestly,  though  it  may  be  kindly,  for 
his  everlasting  welfare.  Let  him  walk  quietly  on  in  his 
own  way  to  ruin,  and  he  will  let  you  walk  quietly  on  in 
your  own  chosen  path  to  heaven.  But  entreat  him,  with 
some  portion  of  that  urgency  which  the  case  demands,  to 
forsake  his  way  and  his  thoughts,  and  to  turn  unto  the  Lord 
with  all  his  heart,  immediately  he  regards  you  as  a  troubler, 
and  counts  you  for  an  enemy.  He  will  address  you,  it  may 
be,  with  constrained  outward  civility,  but  it  will  be  with  in- 
ward contempt,  and  determination  against  you.  His  heart 
is  set  upon  his  own  way,  and  he  will  oppose  and  oppress 
you  with  silent  disdain,  or  with  open  ridicule.  Thus,  in  one 
form  or  another,  the  scriptural  axiom  is  painfully  verified 
in  the  experience  of  God's  children,  that  all  who  "  will  live 
godly  in  Christ  Jesus  shall  suffer  persecution."  2  Tim. 
iii.  12. 


114  THE   LOKD    EXECUTING  JUDGMENT 

Under  the  pressure  of  personal,  social,  or  domestic  trials 
of  an  oppressive  character,  the  believer  may  be  tempted  to 
forget  God,  as  Asa  did  in  his  national  affliction.  "  The  king 
of  Israel,'*  we  read,  "  encompassed  his  land,  so  that  none 
might  go  out  or  come  in  to  Asa  king  of  Judah."  But  in- 
stead of  placing  his  whole  confidence  in  God,  Asa  made  a 
league  with  the  king  of  Syria,  an  enemy  to  the  true  faith. 
By  this  unholy  compact,  he  gained,  indeed,  a  temporary  de- 
liverance, but  he  lost  the  favor  of  his  God,  and  he  brought 
upon  himself  innumerable  troubles.  The  Prophet  was  sent 
to  him  with  this  solemn  message,  "  Because  thou  hast  relied 
on  the  king  of  Syria,  and  not  relied  on  the  Lord  thy  God, 
therefore  is  the  host  of  the  king  of  Syria  escaped  out  of 
thine  hand.  Were  not  the  Ethiopians  and  the  Lubims  a 
huge  host,  with  very  many  chariots  and  horsemen  1  Yet, 
because  thou  disdt  rely  on  the  Lord,  he  delivered  them  into 
thine  hand.  For  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  run  to  and  fro 
throughout  the  whole  earth,  to  show  Himself  strong  in  the 
behalf  of  them  whose  heart  is  perfect  toward  Him.  Plerein 
thou  hast  done  foolishly :  therefore  froih  henceforth  thou 
shalt  have  wars."  2  Chron.  xvi.  7 — 10. 

Remember  this  truth,  O  believer,  under  every  trial,  that 
"  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  "  are  upon  thee.  He  will  show  Him- 
self strong  on  behalf  of  all  those  that  trust  in  Him.  Act 
•not  hastily  and  "  foolishly,"  in  thine  own  strength.  The 
very  scheme  thou  formest  for  thy  deliverance,  may  prove 
to  be  the  source  of  thy  greatest  trials.  Some  injudicious 
word,  some  rash  self-confident  act,  may  plunge  thee  into 
still  deeper  waters.     To  thee  also  it  may  be  said,  "  From 


FOR   TKE   OPPRESSED.  115 

henceforth  thou  shalt  have  wars."  The  remainder  of  thy 
days  may  be  embittered  by  feuds  and  strife,  by  jealousies 
and  misunderstandings.  Thy  escape  from  one  present  press- 
ing trial,  may  be  purchased  at  the  enormous  price  of  con- 
tinually-increasing troubles,  which  shall  terminate  only  with 
thy  life.  Eemember  that  "  a  soft  answer  turneth  away 
wrath,"  Prov.  xv.  1  ;  and  that  in  quietness  and  confidence 
shall  be  your  rest.  Meekness  and  gentleness  bring  their 
own  reward.  Imitate  thy  Saviour.  Did  He  resent  any  in- 
dignity ?  Was  He  quick  to  repel  every  attack  1  Did  He 
take  pains  to  answer  every  varied  aspersion  1  Is  not  this 
the  true  description  of  the  Master,  and  ought  it  not  also  to 
be  that  of  every  disciple  ?  "  Who,  when  He  was  reviled, 
reviled  not  again ;  when  he  suffered,  He  threatened  not ; 
but  committed  Himself  to  Him  that  judgeth  righteously." 
1.  Pet.  ii.  23.  "  He  was  oppressed,  and  He  was  afflicted, 
yet  He  opened  not  His  mouth  ;  He  was  brought  as  a  lamb 
to  the  slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep  before  her  shearers  is 
dumb,  so  He  opened  not  His  mouth."  Isa.  liii.  7. 

The  forms  of  oppression,  through  which  the  children  of 
God  are  called  to  pass,  are  indeed  various :  they  are  all, 
however,  measured,  apportioned,  and  appointed  by  God. 
That  particular  form  of  trial  which  is  sent  to  each,  is  assured- 
ly the  best  for  each  :  yet,  alas  !  we  often  think  that  a  trial 
in  any  other  form,  would  be  more  suitable  to  our  own  indi- 
vidual case,  and  be  less  hard  to  bear.  The  wounding  of  the 
flesh  will  prove  beneficial  to  some  ;  the  wounding  of  the 
spirit  must  be  the  medicine  for  others.  Examine  closely 
the  state  of  thy  soul.     See  if  the  root  of  bitterness  be  not 


116  THE   LORD    KXECUTING   JUDGMENT 

in  this,  that  "  thy  heart  hath  departed  from  the  Lord."  Jer. 
xvii.  5.  To  cure  thy  backsliding  soul,  there  may  not  only 
be  sicknesses  and  bereavements,  and  losses  of  property,  ad- 
ministered, there  may  be  sent  also  a  sharp  thorn,  that  shall 
touch  thy  spirit  to  the  quick.  Misunderstandings  with  your 
nearest  and  dearest  relatives  may  arise ;  family  tempers  and 
estrangements  may  well-nigh  overwhelm  your  spirit.  You 
may  be  oppressed  by  a  master,  by  an  employer,  by  a  hus- 
band, by  a  parent,  and  every  advice  you  offer  for  their 
eternal  good  may  be  scornfully  rejected,  and  yourself  de- 
nounced as  a  hypocrite,  and  commanded  to  be  silent.  In 
this  form  of  trouble,  you  may,  perhaps,  not  discern  the 
hand  of  the  Lord,  as  clearly  as  in  your  other  trials.  You 
may  not,  therefore,  experience  as  sensibly,  His  support 
under  it,  as  at  other  times  ;  and  you  may  often  be  brought 
to  your  wit's  end,  with  wave  after  wave  of  perplexity.  Poor 
tempest-tossed  soul,  what  wilt  thou  do  1  Hasten  with  it  to 
the  throne  of  grace.  Speak  more  to  God  concerning  it,  than 
to  thy  fellow-men.  Bear  it  all  meekly,  and  thy  Eellow- 
Sufferer  will  strengthen  thee.  In  patience  possess  thou  thy 
soul.  The  eye  of  God  is  upon  thee  in  i^ity,  more  than 
in  anger.  He  awaits  to  be  gracious  unto  thee.  At  the 
voice  of  thy  cry,  when  He  shall  hear  it,  He  will  answer 
thee.  "  And  though  the  Lord  give  you  the  bread  of  ad- 
versity, and  the  water  of  oppression  (margin)  ;  yet  thine 
ears  shall  hear  a  word  behind  thee,  saying,  This  is  the  way, 
walk  ye  in  it,  when  ye  turn  to  the  right  hand,  and  when  ye 
turn  to  the  left,"  Isa.  xxx.  2L  Wait  thou  upon  Him.  Be 
meek,  be  gentle,  be  patient.     Return  kindness  for  coldness, 


FOR  THE   OPPRESSED.  117 

love  for  hatred,  prayers  for  reproaches.  Be  not  eager  to 
take  thy  own  part,  and  God  will  be  more  ready  to  take  it 
for  thee.  Fret  not  at  this,  or  at  that,  particular  form  of 
trial :  it  is  the  lot  appointed  for  thee  by  unerring  wisdom, 
and  by  paternal  love.  What  God  does,  thou  knowest  not 
now,  but  thou  shalt  know  hereafter.  Soon  thy  Lord  will 
show  Himself  strong  on  thy  behalf.  The  Lord  is  a  refuge 
for  the  oppressed,  a  refuge  in  times  of  trouble :  and  they 
that  know  His  name,  will  put  their  trust  in  Him.  Psa.  ix.  9. 
"  For  thy  Lord,  the  Jehovah,  and  thy  God,  pleadeth  the 
cause  of  His  people."  Isa.  li,  22.  "  For  the  oppression  of 
the  poor,  for  the  sighing  of  the  needy,  now  will  I  arise,  saith 
the  Lord  :  I  will  set  him  in  safety  from  him  that  puffeth  at 
him."  Psa.  xii.  5.  Cleave  thou,  therefore,  only  to  Him. 
Leave  thyself  implicitly  in  His  hand.  The  Lord  will  apjDcar 
on  thy  behalf.  Hasten  not  forward  in  thine  own  strength : 
"  Stand  still  and  see  the  salvation  of  God." 

"  If  the  Lord  be  for  us,  who  can  be  against  us  f  is  the 
triumphant  language  of  St.  Paul,  Rom.  viii.  3L  Let  this 
truth  be  deeply  settled  in  our  minds,  under  every  form  of 
oppression,  and  it  will  make  us  more  than  conquerors  over 
all  the  power  of  the  enemy.  St.  Peter  likewise,  thus  en- 
courages our  hearts  :  "  If  ye  be  reproached  for  the  name  of 
Christ,  happy  are  ye."  1  Peter,  iv.  14.  And  St.  James 
adds  this  testimony  and  exhortation :  "  Count  it  all  joy 
when  ye  fall  into  divers  temptations"  or  trials.  James  i.  2. 
Our  blessed  Saviour  Himself  also,  thus  encourages  and  con- 
soles His  disciples :  "  Blessed  are  ye,  when  men  shall  revile 
you,  and  persecute  you,  and  shall  say  all  manner  of  evil 


118  THE   LORD    F.XECUTING  JUDGMENT 

against  you  falsely,  for  My  sake.  Rejoice,  and  be  exceeding 
glad  :  for  great  is  your  reward  in  heaven  :  for  so  persecuted 
they  the  prophets  which  were  before  you."  St.  Matt.  v. 
11,  12. 

Instead,  however,  of  animating  their  hearts  by  the  sus- 
taining and  exalting  view,  which  these  and  other  Scriptures 
present,  and  which  our  Saviour  and  His  Apostles  enjoin, 
many  oppressed  believers  lose  sight  of  the  honor  of  the 
cross.  They  feel  their  trials  in  too  personal  a  manner,  and 
too  easily  therefore  become  disheartened  and  cast  down. 
Let  them  remember  that,  as  it  is  for  Christ's  sake  they 
suffer,  so  it  is  for  Christ's  sake  that  they  are  to  bear,  and  by 
His  grace  to  bear  patiently.  "  What  glory  is  it,  if  when 
ye  be  buffeted  for  your  faults,  ye  take  it  patiently  ?  but  if, 
when  ye  do  well,  and  suffer  for  it,  ye  take  it  patiently,  this 
is  acceptable  with  God."  1  Pet.  ii.  20.  "  If  any  man  suffer 
as  a  Christian,  let  him  not  be  ashamed  :  but  let  him  glorify 
God  on  this  behalf."  1  Pet.  iv.  16. 

The  Christian  is  apt  to  say,  "  If  the  charge  were  true,  I 
could  bear  it ;  but  to  be  accused  so  wrongfully,  and  to  be 
oppressed  without  cause,  is  hard  to  bear !"  Under  this  trial, 
the  believer  is  tempted  to  forget  that  Jesus  his  blessed 
Master,  was  always  accused  wrongfully ;  he  becomes  also 
too  eager  to  defend  himself,  instead  of  being  the  more  ear- 
nest to  commit  his  case  to  God.  An  attempt  to  set  himself 
right  amongst  worldly  men,  is  not  always  accompanied  with 
success,  and  is  often  attended  by  further  irritation  and 
wounding  of  the  feelings.  There  are  cases  where  vindication 
is  necessary  and  becoming ;  but  in  a  vast  number  of  in- 


FOR  THE   OPPRESSED.  119 

stances  the  Scriptural  rule  is  at  once  the  safest,  and  the 
easiest,  "  Let  them  that  suffer  according  to  the  will  of  God, 
commit  the  keeping  of  their  souls  to  Him  in  well-doing,  as 
unto  a  faitliful  Creator."  1  Pet.  iv.  19.  Live  down  re- 
proach. Be  more  diligent  than  ever  in  well-doing.  Act 
like  Daniel,  that  no  enemy  may  have  any  fault  to  find,  save 
concerning  the  law  of  your  God,  Dan.  vi.  5  ;  and  soon  your 
once-oppressed  Lord  will  execute  righteousness  and  judg- 
ment for  your  oppressed  heart.  If,  however,  you  distrust 
your  God,  if  you  doubt  w^hether  He  will  appear  on  your 
behalf,  that  unbelief  will  lead  you  to  take  measures  hastily 
for  your  own  deliverance,  and  to  pursue  them  eagerly  to 
your  own  great  damage,  unless  God,  in  mercy,  prevent. 
Therefore,  let  us  "  take  heed,  lest  there  be  in  any  of  us  an 
evil  heart  of  unbelief,  in  departing  from  the  living  God." 
Heb.  iii.  12.  When  the  Lord  brings  us  into  trial,  we  must 
pray  for  grace  patiently  to  abide  therein,  till  He  Himself 
bring  us  out.  "  Wait  on  the  Lord ;  be  of  good  courage, 
and  He  shall  strengthen  thine  heart :  wait,  I  say,  on  the 
Lord."  Psa.  xxvii.  14. 

By  this  peculiar  form  of  trial,  the  Refiner  is  purifying  thy 
soul.  He  is  assimilating  thee  to  the  likeness  of  thy  Lord. 
We  must  be  made  like  to  Jesus.  Of  Him,  it  was  em- 
phatically written,  "  He  was  oppressed."  Isa.  liii.  7.  This 
He  suffered  for  thy  sake  ;  and  to  thee,  as  to  the  Philippian 
Christians  of  old,  this  double  honor  is  "  given  in  the  behalf 
of  Christ,  not  only  to  believe  on  Him,  but  also  to  suffer  for 
His  sake."  Phil.  i.  29.  Oh  seek,  therefore,  earnestly  seek 
that  the  complete  will  of  the  Divine  Purifier  may  be  ful- 


120  THE    LOED   EXECUTING  JUDGMENT. 

filled  in  thy  soul.  Seek  with  St.  Paul,  "  to  know  the  fellow- 
ship of  Christ's  sufferings,"  and  to  be  "  made  conformable," 
if  it  were  necessary,  even  "  unto  His  death."  Phil.  iii.  10. 
The  bruising  of  the  perfume  brings  out  its  richest  odor.  Be 
thou  a  willing  sufferer  of  the  bruise  that  heals — a  thankful 
and  a  pleased  bearer  of  the  pressure  of  The  Bruised  Hand  ; 
then,  no  longer  fretting  against  this  peculiar  form  of  trial, 
thou  wilt  bless  the  All-wise  God,  thy  all-loving  Lord,  who 
has  appointed  it  for  thy  eternal  benefit,  as  well  as  bless  Him 
also,  like  David,  because  He  "  executeth  righteousness  and 
judgment  for  all  that  are  oppressed." 


YIII. 

%hj  f  0rlr  nulling  luuton  |is  toas$  ta 
l^n. 

He   made  known  His  ways  unto  Moses,  His  acts  unto  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel. — Verse  7. 

The  Lord  is  not  only  the  faithful  Avenger  of  His  people's 
wrongs,  but  He  is  also  the  gracious  Instructor  of  His  people's 
ffouls.  The  Psalmist  celebrates  His  goodness  in  Revelation, 
as  one  of  the  covenanted  mercies  which  he  had  received. 
He  here  specifies  it  as  a  delightful  subject  of  his  heartfelt 
thanksgivings :  "  He  hath  made  known  His  ways  unto 
Moses,  His  acts  unto  the  children  of  Israel." 

Deeply  are  we  indebted  to  the  Lord,  for  the  Revelation 
which  He  has  been  pleased  to  make  of  Himself,  of  His  char- 
acter, and  of  His  ways.  We  might  have  been  left  to  our 
own  unaided  imaginations,  to  our  own  fancied  discoveries. 
Whither  these  would  have  conducted  us,  experience  has  am- 
ply shown.  Man  destitute  of  revelation  sinks  into  thegross- 
ness  of  idolatry,  and  becomes  a  blinded  worshipper  of  the 
host  of  heaven,  of  the  meanest  reptiles,  yea,  and  of  the 
stocks  and  the  stones  of  the  earth.  Without  the  direct  teach- 
ing of  the  "  Only  Wise  God,"  men  grope  in  spiritual  dark- 
ness.    They  "  seek   the  Lord,  if  haply  they  may  feel  after 


122  THE   LORD   MAKING   KNOWN 

Himj  and  find  Him,  though  He  be  not  far  from  every  one 
of  us."  Acts  xvii.  27.  It  is,  therefore,  a  most  gracious  in- 
stance of  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  towards  us,  that  He  con- 
descends to  meet  the  blindness  of  His  creatures,  and  to 
manifest  Himself  to  them  by  the  immediate  inspiration  of 
His  own  Spirit.  "  Bless  the  Lord,"  then,  O  our  souls,  and 
all  that  is  within  us  bless  His  holy  name.  "  Bless  the  Lord, 
O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  His  benefits ;  for  He  hath 
made  known  His  ways  unto  Moses,  His  acts  unto  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel." 

Among  the  many  peculiar  tokens  of  the  Divine  favor  to- 
ward the  Hebrew  race,  this  is  not  the  least,  that  He  who 
dwelleth  in  the  thick  darkness  revealed  Himself  to  their 
forefathers,  "  You  only  have  I  known  of  all  the  families  of 
the  earth."  Amos  iii.  2.  Indeed,  next  to  the  high  honor 
that  "  of  them  as  concerning  the  flesh  Christ  came,"  Rom. 
ix.  5 ;  this  is  to  be  regarded  as  the  pride  and  glory  of  their 
nation,  "  chiefly,  because  that  unto  them  were  committed  the 
oracles  of  God."  Rom.  iii.  2.  "  He  sheweth  His  word 
unto  Jacob,  His  statutes  and  His  judgments  unto  Israel. 
He  hath  not  dealt  so  with  any  nation :  and  as  for  His  judg- 
ments, they  have  not  known  them.  Praise  ye  the  Lord." 
Psa.  cxlvii.  19,  20. 

The  Lord  brought  the  children  of  Israel  to  His  footstool. 
He  gave  His  good  Spirit  to  instruct  them,  and  He  set  them 
to  be  the  teachers  of  the  Gentiles.  But  even  amongst  these, 
the  Lord  hath  not  wholly  left  Himself  without  witness. 
From  the  beginning  of  the  world  Jehovah  had  made  Him- 
self known  in  various  ways  to  men.     Our  first  parents  heard 


HIS   WAYS   TO   MEN.  123 

the  voice  of  the  Lord  God  in  the  garden  of  Eden.  Even 
Cain,  the  murderer  of  his  only  brother,  was  privileged  to 
hear  the  tones  of  that  Voice  which  had  called  creation  into 
being.  To  Noah,  also,  and  doubtless  to  others  of  the  ante- 
diluvian Patriarchs,  did  the  Eternal  God  make  known  His 
purposes  and  declare  His  mighty  acts. 

But  whatever  measure  of  light,  by  revelation,  existed  be- 
fore and  after  the  deluge,  the  fact  is  certain,  that  the  nations 
sinned  against  light  and  knowledge.  They  did  not  like  to 
retain  the  true  God  in  their  remembrance.  His  holiness 
was  a  continual  bar  to  the  indulgence  of  their  sinful  propen- 
sities. They  desired  to  have  gods  congenial  to  their  own 
wicked  inclinations.  They  became  vain  in  their  imagina- 
tion ;  their  foolish  heart  was  darkened ;  and  God  gave  them 
up  to  their  own  heart's  lusts.  Rom.  i.  21.  The  nations  be- 
came willing  and  debased  idolaters ;  and  had  not  God  of 
His  mercy  interposed,  they  would  all,  without  exception, 
have  remained  idolaters  still  to  this  very  day.  It  was  en- 
tirely of  His  own  free  and  undeserved  goodness  that  the 
Lord  God  called  Abram  out  of  Ur  of  the  Chaldees.  He 
Avho  was  to  become  the  Father  of  the  faithful,  was  himself 
the  child  of  an  idolater,  and  a  youthful  Avorshipper  of  things 
which  are  no  gods,  but  the  work  of  men's  hands.  It  was 
the  good  pleasure  of  Jehovah  to  make  Himself  known  to 
this  blinded  Chaldean,  and  to  choose  his  descendants  in 
whom  to  continue  and  to  complete  the  line  of  revelation. 
How,  therefore,  shall  we  sufficiently  extol  the  condescension 
of  Him  who  "  talked  with  Abram,"  Gen.  xvii.  3 ; — who 
revealed  to  him  both  His  present  thoughts  and  His  future 


124  THE   LORD   MAKING   KNOWN 

purposes ;  who  took  him  into  covenant  with  Himself,  be- 
stowed on  him  the  name  of  Abraham,  and  honored  him  with 
the  title  of  the  Friend  of  God  1  What  shall  we  say  to  this  1 
— Shall  w^e  not,  "  as  grateful  Gentiles,"  join  the  worshipping 
company  of  Israelites,  and  "  stand  up  to  bless  the  Lord  our 
God  for  ever  and  ever ;  and  say,  Blessed  be  Thy  glorious 
name,  which  is  exalted  above  all  blessing  and  praise.  Thou, 
even  Thou,  art  Lord  alone :  Thou  hast  made  heaven,  the 
heaven  of  heavens,  with  all  their  host,  the  earth,  and  all 
things  that  are  therein,  the  seas,  and  all  that  is  therein,  and 
Thou  preservest  them  all ;  and  the  host  of  heaven  w^orship- 
peth  Thee.  Thou  art  the  Lord  the  God,  who  didst  choose 
Abram,  and  broughtest  him  forth  out  of  Ur  of  the  Chaldees, 
and  gavest  him  the  name  of  Abraham ;  and  foundest  his 
heart  faithful  before  Thee,  and  madest  a  covenant  with  him 
to  give  the  land  of  the  Canaanites,  *  *  *  to  his  seed,  and 
hast  performed  Thy  words ;  for  Thou  art  righteous  :  Thou 
earnest  down  also  upon  Mount  Sinai,  and  spakest  with  them 
from  heaven,  and  gavest  them  right  judgments,  and  true 
laws,  good  statutes  and  commandments :  and  madest  known 
unto  them  Tliy  holy  Sabbath,  and  commandedst  them  pre- 
cepts, statutes,  and  laws,  by  the  hand  of  Moses,  Thy  ser- 
vant :  and  gavest  them  bread  from  heaven  for  their  hunger, 
and  broughtest  forth  water  for  them  out  of  the  rock  for  their 
thirst,  and  promisedst  them  that  they  should  go  in  to  pos- 
sess the  land  which  Thou  hadst  sworn  to  give  them.  Thou 
gavest  also  Thy  good  Spirit  to  instruct  them,  and  withheldest 
not  Thy  manna  from  their  mouth,  and  gavest  them  water 
for  their  thirst."     Neh.  ix.  5—8  ;  13—15  :  20. 


HIS   WAYS   TO   MEX.  125 

Of  all  preceding  believers,  it  was  to  "  the  son  of  Pha- 
raoh's daughter,"  that,  in  the  most  clear  and  abundant  man- 
ner, the  Lord  "  made  Himself  known ;"  as  Nehemiah  re- 
hearses in  this  history,  and  as  David  testifies  in  this  Psalm. 
A  burning  bush  in  the  wilderness  was  not  more  surely  ex- 
hibited to  the  eye  of  Moses,  than  the  voice  of  the  Lord  God 
was  vouchsafed  to  his  ear,  and  the  purposes  of  the  great  '•  I 
Am"  were  communicated  to  his  mind.  In  Egypt  also,  then 
amid  the  solemn  judgments  at  the  Red  Sea,  and  on  the 
Mount  of  Sinai,  did  the  High  and  Lofty  One  that  inhabiteth 
eternity,  "  make  known  His  ways  to  Moses,  and  His  acts 
unto  the  children  of  Israel."  Forty  days  and  forty  nights, 
on  two  several  occasions,  was  Moses  honored  to  remain  in 
sacred  communication  with  the  Most  High  God.  In  the  tab- 
ernacle also  of  the  congregation,  the  Lord  revealed  Himself 
to  His  chosen  servant,  and  "  spake  unto  Moses  face  to  face 
as  a  man  speaketh  unto  his  friend."     Exod.  xxxiii.  IL 

Some,  however,  may  be  tempted  to  ask, — "  "What  have 
we  to  do  with  Moses  ?"  We  answer,  "  Much,  every  way." 
The  manifestation  of  God  to  him,  and  to  the  Israelites,  has 
proved  a  fruitful  source  of  instruction  to  succeeding  genera- 
tions :  "  The  things  that  were  written  aforetime,  were  writ- 
ten for  our  learning,  that  we,  through  patience  and  comfort 
of  the  Scriptures,  might  have  hope."  Rom.  xv.  4.  We 
must  not  peruse  the  pages  of  the  Old  Testament,  as  mere 
records  of  history,  in  which  we  have  no  concern.  The  Old 
Testament  and  the  New,  make  one  Bible.  Tlie  believers 
under  both,  make  "  one  body."  The  Law  and  the  Gospel 
emanate  from  "  one  God."     They  both  point  to  the  "  one 


126  THE    LORD   MAKING   KNOWN 

Mediator."  The  object  of  the  one  is  equally  the  object  of 
the  other, — to  bring  man  home  as  a  prodigal  to  his  Father's 
house,  and  to  engage  him  to  fight  against  sin,  and  Satan,  and 
the  world,  unto  his  life's  end.  The  faithful  are  all  enlisted 
under  the  same  banner.  The  entire  line  of  an  army  is  af- 
fected by  everything  that  befals  the  soldier  in  advance.  We 
have  a  common  cause  with  Moses,  a  common  suffering,  and 
a  common  triumph.  Christians  of  "  to-day"  are  fellow-sol- 
diers with  the  faithful  Israelites  of  "  yesterday  ;"  and  both 
are  "  one  in  Him,  who  is  the  same  yesterday,  and  to-day, 
and  for  ever."  Heb.  xiii.  8.  The  warfare  is  one.  The 
Captain  of  their  salvation  is  one.  The  glory  of  the  victory 
shall  be  undivided. 

Whatever  happened  to  the  ancient  believers  was  for  "  en- 
sample"  to  their  successors  ;  and  it  is  written,  "  for  our  ad- 
monition, upon  whom  the  ends  of  the  world  are  come."  1 
Cor.  X.  11.  We,  who  are  living  in  this  late  day,  enjoy  the 
benefit  of  all  former  revelations.  Let  us  therefore  not  be 
insensible  to  our  mercies.  They  have  been  greatly  increased 
since  David's  time,  yet  see  how  gratefully  he  speaks.  Imi- 
tate his  thankfulness ;  yea,  endeavor  to  surpass  it.  Thy 
benefit.  Oh  Christian,  greatly  exceeds  that  of  the  Psalmist, 
so  likewise  should  thy  gratitude.  What  Historians  have 
recorded,  what  Psalmists  have  celebrated,  and  Prophets 
have  foretold,  what  Evangelists  have  narrated,  and  Apostles 
have  testified,  should  call  forth  our  ardent  praise  to  Him, 
who  condescended  to  reveal  Himself  to  their  minds,  and 
to  speak  to  us  by  their  mouths.  When  God  spake  to 
Moses,  His    infinite    mind  designed    also   our  benefit,  and 


HIS   WAYS  TO   MEN.  127 

spake  to  us.  When  He  gave  the  Law  from  Mount  Si- 
nai,  He  looked  forward  to  every,  even  the  latest,  member 
of  His  Church.  Let  us  give  thanks  therefore,  for  this 
benefit,  and  let  us  realize  our  oneness  with  the  whole  bod y 
of  the  faithful.  Moses  received  the  Law  in  the  hands  of 
the  Mediator  ;  so  likewise  do  we.  The  acts  of  God  toM^ard 
the  children  of  Israel  were  all  performed  in  Christ ;  and  in 
Christ  we  share  the  benefit.  We  are  all  one  body  in  Christ ; 
we  all  eat  the  same  spiritual  meat ;  we  all  drink  the  same 
spiritual  drink :  "  for  they  drank  of  that  spiritual  Rock  that 
followed  them,  and  that  Rock  was  Christ.  Therefore  let  us 
not  tempt  Christ,  as  some  of  them  also  tempted,  and  were 
destroyed  of  serpents."     1  Cor.  x.  4,  9.  * 

The  Revelation  from  the  Most  High  is  like  Himself, — 
holy,  and  just,  and  good.  The  most  apparently  opposite 
declarations  therein,  are  not  really  opposite ;  for  that  one 
Spirit  who  inspired  them,  can  never  contradict  Himself. 
The  Omniscient  God  sees  no  imperfection  in  the  Volume  of 
His  own  inspiration ;  and  all  things  it  contains  will  soon  be 
made  clear  likewise  to  us :  "  What  we  know  not  now,  we 
shall  know  hereafter."  Meantime,  it  is  the  province  of  faith 
to  anticipate  that  knowledge,  and  to  enable  us  now  to  receive 
"  with  the  spirit,"  what  we  shall  then  receive  with  "  the  un- 
derstanding also."  Faith  sees  everything  in  God's  light, 
and  therefore  beholds  no  imperfection,  and  acknowledges  no 
contradictions,  in  His  word  of  truth.  The  language  of  faith 
is  that  of  the  inspired  Psalmist,  "  The  law  of  the  Lord  is 
perfect,  converting  the  soul :  the  testimony  of  the  Lord  is 
sure,  making  wise  the  simple.     The  statutes  of  the  Lord  are 


128  THE   LORD   MAKING   KNOWN 

right,  rejoicing  the  heart :  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  is 
pure,  enlightening  the  eyes.  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  clean, 
enduring  for  ever  :  the  judgments  of  the  Lord  are  true  and 
righteous  altogether.  More  to  be  desired  are  they  than 
gold,  yea,  than  much  fine  gold  ;  sweeter  also  than  the  honey 
and  the  honeycomb.  Moreover,  by  them  is  thy  servant 
warned;  and  in  keeping  of  them  there  is  great  reward." 
Psa.  xix.  7 — n. 

Reader,  do  you  value  the  sacred  Scriptures  as  King  David 
did  1  Are  they  sweeter  than  "  honey"  to  your  taste  1  Are 
they  more  desirable  than  "  gold"  in  your  estimation  ?  Have 
they  converted  your  soul,  and  imparted  wisdom  to  your 
mind  ?  Have  they  rejoiced  your  heart,  and  enlightened  your 
eyes  1  Then  you  will  rea-dily  declare  for  yourself  "  that  the 
law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  and  His  testimony  sure — that 
His  statutes  are  right,  and  His  commandments  pure" — yea, 
you  will  joyfully  add  that  His  judgments  "  are  true  and 
righteous  altogether." 

The  Bible  is  the  Book  of  God,  and  the  Book  of  His 
Church.  It  is  the  Book  of  inspiration  and  of  truth  ;  of  his- 
tory and  of  prophecy ;  of  instruction  and  of  consolation. 
The  Bible  is  the  Book  of  promises  and  of  warnings ;  of  faith 
and  of  hope ;  of  purity  and  of  power.  It  is  the  Book  of 
peace  and  of  pleasantness  ;  of  light  and  of  life.  The  Bible 
is  the  book  of  spiritual  conversion,  and  of  never-ending  sal- 
vation. The  Bible  is  the  best  Book  for  Time,  and  the  only 
Book  for  Eternity. 

The  Word  of  God  is  the  instrument  of  our  regeneration. 
James  i.  18 ;  1  Pet.  i.  23.     It  is  the  means  of  the  sanctifica- 


HIS   WAYS   TO   MEN.  129 

tion  of  our  souls.  John  xv.  3.  It  is  the  sword  of  the  Sph-it, 
by  which  we  overcome  our  spiritual  foes.  Ef)h.  vi.  17.  It 
makes  us  wise  unto  salvation,  through  faith,  which  is  in 
Christ  Jesus.  2  Tim.  iii.  15.  In  it  we  have  eternal  life,  be- 
cause it  testifies  of  Him.     John  v.  39. 

Oh  what  a  comforter  in  sorrows  is  the  Book  of  God — 
what  a  guide  in  perplexity — what  a  light  in  darkness — what 
life  in  death  !  How  many  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  af- 
fliction, when  worn  with  languor  and  disease,  have  been 
heard  to  testify  regarding  the  Book  of  the  Lord,  "  This  is 
my  comfort  iii  my  affliction :  for  Thy  word  hath  quickened 
me."  Psa.  cxix.  50.  Mark  the  testimony  of  a  young  na- 
val officer  on  his  dying  bed,  when  but  twenty-four  years  of 
age  :  "  There  is  nothing  like  the  Bible.  I  never  tire  of  that. 
I  never  feel  lonely  or  weary  when  reading  it :"  and  again  he 
said,  "  I  love  to  have  this  blessed  Book  open  before  me ;  for 
I  can  only  sleep  a  few  minutes  at  a  time ;  and  when  I  open 
my  eyes,  it  is  so  pleasant  to  light  upon  some  sweet  pas- 
sage."— Memoirs  of  the  Hon.  R.  M. 

Lady  Jane  Grey  to  her  sister  Lady  Catharine,  gave  her 
dying  testimony  to  the  value  of  the  Bible,  by  writing  thus, 
on  the  blank  leaf  of  her  Greek  Testament,  the  night  before 
she  suffered  :  "  I  have  here  sent  you  a  book,  which,  although 
it  be  not  outwardly  rimmed  with  gold,  yet  inwardly  it  is 
more  worth  than  precious  stones.  It  is  the  book,  dear  sister, 
of  the  laws  of  the  Lord :  it  is  his  testament  and  last  will 
*  *  '^  *  and  shall  lead  you  to  the  path  of  eternal  joy  ;  and 
if  you  with  a  good  mind  read  it,  and  with  an  earnest  desire 
to  follow  it,  shall  bring  you  to  an  immortal  and  everlast  ■••: 
6* 


130  THK   LORD   MAKING   KNOWN 

life.  It  will  teach  you  to  live,  and  learn  you  to  die  :  *  *  * 
if  you  apply  diligently  to  this  book,  trying  to  direct  your 
life  after  it,  you  shall  be  an  inheritor  of  such  riches,  as 
neither  the  covetous  shall  withdraw  from  you,  neither  thief 
shall  steal,  neither  yet  the  moth  corrupt." 

It  is  our  happy  privilege  to  belong  to  a  Kingdom,  which, 
in  the  most  public  manner,  and  on  the  most  solemn  occasion, 
honors  the  Word  of  God  above  all  earthly  things.  It  is  not 
the  Sword  of  state,  nor  the  golden  Orb  of  dominion ;  it  is 
not  the  Sceptre  of  authority,  nor  even  the  Crown  of  gold, 
which  constitutes  the  last  and  highest  gift,  presented  by  the 
British  Nation,  to  the  Royal  Person  on  the  day  of  Corona- 
tion— no,  it  is  the  word  of  God  !  For,  after  all  these  things 
have  been  presented,  "  the  Archbishop  shall  bring  the  Holy 
Bible,  and  say  :  Our  Gracious  Queen  ;  we  present  yau  with 
THIS  BOOK,  THE  MOST  VALUABLE  THING  THAT 
THIS  WORLD  AFFORDS.  Here  is  wisdom  ;  this  is  the 
Royal  Law ;  these  are  the  lively  oracles  of  God.  Blessed 
is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that  hear  the  words  of  this 
Book :  that  keep  and  do  the  things  contained  in  it.  For 
these  are  the  words  of  eternal  life,  able  to  make  you  wise 
and  happy  in  this  world ;  nay,  wise  unto  salvation,  and  so 
happy  for  evermore,  through  faith  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  ; 
to  whom  be  glory  for  ever.     Amen." 

Reader,  is  the  Bible  to  you  "  the  most  valuable  thing  that 
this  world  affords"  ?  Is  it  the  book,  by  the  light  of  which 
you  have  determined  to  guide  your  life  1  Is  it  the  book,  on 
tha  faith  of  which  you  have  resolved  to  die  ?  Are  you 
making  a  good  use  of  your  Bible,  for  the  enlightening  of 


HIS   WAYS   TO    MEN.  131 

your  mind,  the  sanctification  of  your  heart,  and  the  reguhi- 
tion  of  your  conduct  1  Do  you  daily  draw  water  with  joy 
out  of  these  wells  of  salvation  1  Jesus  was  a  diligent  reader 
of  the  Bible  in  the  days  of  His  flesh.  He  treasured  up  the 
promises  in  His  heart.  He  lived  by  faith  upon  the  written 
word.  He  knew  what  Moses  had  written  regarding  Him- 
self. He  knew  what  the  Psalmists  had  sung,  and  what  the 
Prophets  had  foretold,  of  His  sufferings  as  the  Redeemer, 
and  of  the  glory  that  should  follow.  1  Pet.  i.  11.  Read 
the  Old  Testament,  because  Jesus  read  it.  Prize  the  Old 
Testament,  because  Jesus  prized  it ;  and  prize  the  New  Tes- 
tament, which  tells  you  of  His  life,  and  of  His  righteous- 
ness ;  of  His  blood,  and  of  His  death ;  of  His  resurrection 
and  ascension ;  of  His  present  intercession,  and  of  His 
speedy  return  in  glory.  Oh  thus  look  for  Jesus,  and  read 
of  Jesus,  in  the  Book  of  God,  and  it  will  be  the  Book  of 
Life  for  ever  to  your  precious  soul. 

The  Holy  Bible  has  been  described  "  as  the  garden  of 
Eden,  and  the  Book  of  Psalms  as  the  tree  of  life  in  the 
midst."  Reader,  have  you  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord  God 
therein  1  In  the  cool  of  the  evening,  and  at  other  times,  do 
you  love  to  walk  with  God  in  this  garden  of  inspiration  ? 
Can  you  say  with  Jeremiah,  "  Thy  words  were  found,  and  I 
did  eat  them,  and  Thy  word  was  unto  me  the  joy  and  the 
rejoicing  of  my  heart'"?  Jer.  xv.  IG.  Do  you  unfeignedly 
bless  God  for  the  Bible  ?  Is  it  a  matter  of  heartfelt  thank- 
fulness to  you  that  Moses  wrote,  and  that  David  sang,  and 
that  Isaiah  and  others  prophesied  ?  Are  the  four  Gospels 
on  one  subject  more  than  enough  in  your  apprehensiqn  ?  or 


132  THE   LOKD   MAKING   KNOWN 

do  you  count  the  sayings  and  doings  of  your  blessed  Saviour 
so  precious,  that  you  could  have  wished  that  they  had  been 
"  written  every  one"  ?  John  xxi.  25.  Do  you  receive  the 
Epistles  spiritually  and  practically,  as  addressed  to  yourself? 
And  do  you  faithfully  apply  their  counsels,  and  warnings, 
their  admonitions  and  pronriises,  to  your  own  temper,  life, 
and  conversation  1  And,  especially,  do  you  peruse  the  whole 
volume  of  inspiration  in  the  light  of  the  Sun  of  righteous- 
ness 1  Does  Jesus  shine  in  every  page,  and  bring  the  broad 
day  of  salvation  into  your  soul  ?  Walk  continually  in  that 
light.  Give  thanks  for  that  light.  Delight  thyself  in  thy 
Lord.  Delight  thyself  also  in  His  Word.  Read,  mark, 
learn,  and  inwardly  digest  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Say  like 
Job,  "  I  have  esteemed  the  words  of  His  mouth  more  than 
my  necessary  food."  Job  xxiii.  12.  Say  with  David,  "  O 
how  love  I  Thy  law !  it  is  my  meditation  all  the  day." 
"  How  sweet  are  Thy  words  unto  my  taste !  yea,  sweeter 
than  honey  to  my  mouth!"  "Thy  Word  is  a  lamp  unto 
my  feet,  and  a  light  unto  my  path."  "  Thy  testimonies  have 
I  taken  as  an  heritage  for  ever  :  for  they  are  the  rejoicing  of 
my  heart."  "Therefore  I  love  Thy  commandments  above 
gold,  yea,  above  fine  gold."     Psa.  cxix. 

Art  thou  as  a  "  babe"  in  the  faith,  and  anxious  to  grow  in 
grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  thy  Lord  and  Saviour  ? — 
"  Desire  the  sincere  milk  of  the  Word,  that  thou  mayest 
grow  thereby."  1  Pet.  ii.  2.  Art  thou  as  a  "  young  man" 
in  the  truth,  and  longing  to  be  strong  in  the  faith  which  is 
in  Christ  Jesus? — here  is  "strong  meat"  in  the  Word  of 
God ;  and   "  if    it    abide  in  thee,  thou  bhalt  overcome  the 


HIS   WAYS   TO   MEN.  133 

wicked  one."  Art  thou  as  a  "father,"  grown  old  in  the 
service  of  the  Best  of  Masters  ? — here  is  the  unerring  and 
consolatory  Word  wherein  thou  mayest  "  know  Him  that 
is  from  the  beginning,"  whom  time  cannot  change,  whom 
age  cannot  enfeeble,  and  whose  love  and  wisdom  cannot 
decay.  In  that  Word,  He  has  said,  "  I  will  never  leave 
thee,  I  will  never  forsake  thee."  Dear  aged  pilgrim,  take 
this  promise  for  thy  staff.  Grasp  it  firmly  with  the  hand 
of  faith.  Go  forward  resolutely  through  this  wilderness, 
leaning  upon  it ;  and  ever  and  anon,  as  thou  advancest, 
look  upward  to  Jesus  saying,  "  Remember  Thy  word  unto 
Thy  servant,  upon  which  Thou  hast  caused  me  to  hope," 
Psa.  cxix.  49 ;  and  then  through  the  remaining  states  of 
thy  pilgrimage.  He  will  enable  thee  "  boldly  to  say.  The 
Lord   is   my  helper,  I  will   not   fear  what   man  shall  do 


u 


IX. 

itanifffliy    %t\\tii%    |l0toing    ffttt    af 
t|t  C|»rattn  nf  iuJj. 

The  Lord  is   merciful   and  gracious,  slow  to   anger,  and  plente- 

.mO.       ous  in  mercy.     He  will  not   always  chide:   neither  will  He  keep 

y       His  anger  for  ever.     He   hath  not  dealt  with  us  after   our  sins; 
n 

nor  rewarded  us  according  to  our  iniquities. — Verses  8,  9,  10. 

Having  separately  enumerated  seven  special  benefits 
which  he  had  received  from  his  God,  the  Psalmist  retm'ns 
to  his  most  cherished  theme,  and  expatiates  with  delight  on 
seven-fold  excellencies  of  Jehovah.  He  appears  to  feel  that 
he  can  never  speak  enough  of  the  goodness  of  his  Redeemer, 
nor  sufficiently  extol  the  freeness,  and  the  fulness,  of  His 
forgiving  love.  The  heart  of  the  Psalmist  glows  with  emo- 
tion, "and  while  he  is  musing  the  fire  burns  within  him." 
The  mercies  of  the  Lord  appear  so  vast,  and  His  kindnesses 
so  varied  and  innumerable,  that  he  can  no  longer  stay  to 
specify  each  individual  blessing  singly  and  by  itself. 
Streams  of  refreshment  had  continually  crossed  his  path, 
through  all  his  earthly  pilgrimage ;  and  now,  when  he  at- 
tempts, in  his  own  thoughts,  to  trace  up  each  of  them  to  its 
source,  he  finds  that  they  all  issue  out  of  the  same  overflow- 
ing fountain.     He  turns,  therefore,  to  drink  of  that  fountain 


MANIFOLD   BENEFITS.  185 

itself,  and  he  finds  it  to  be  full,  and  free,  and  satisfying  to 
his  soul.  The  unnumbered  and  varied  mercies  which  he  had 
successively  tested,  he  here  finds  in  their  sum  and  substance, 
there  essence  and  their  perfection.  God  in  Christ  is  that 
Fountain.  With  ravished  heart,  therefore,  he  now  sets  him- 
self to  the  contemplation  of  this  glorious  Being,  from  whom 
all  mercies  flow ;  and  he  exclaims,  "  All  my  springs  are  in 
Thee."     Psa.  Ixxxvii.  7. 

It  is  in  the  character  of  God,  revealed  in  Jesus,  that  our 
strength  and  our  security,  our  peace  and  our  happiness,  are 
all  centered.  From  the  best  gifts,  the  richest  graces,  the 
dearest  friends,  we  must  rise  upward  to  God.  Therefore, 
David  says,  "  My  soul  wait  thou  only  upon  God,  for  my  ex- 
pectation is  from  Him.  He  only  is  my  rock  and  my  salva- 
tion. He  is  my  defence.  I  shall  not  be  moved.  In  God  is 
my  salvation  and  my  glory.  The  rock  of  my  strength,  and 
my  refuge,  is  in  God."  Psa.  Ixii.  5 — 7.  The  knowledge 
of  God  was  spiritual  life — "  eternal  life,"  to  the  heart  of  the 
Psalmist.  He  knew  the  Lord  not  only  in  His  attributes 
and  acts,  but  also  in  His  character  and  feelings.  "  It  is 
not,"  as  if  he  had  said, — "  it  is  not  only  in  what  God  has 
done  for  me,  but  in  what  God  Himself  is  to  me,  that  I  most 
exceedingly  rejoice  !"  Therefore,  his  determined  resolution 
was  this  :  "  My  soul  shall  make  her  boast  in  the  Lord." 
Psa.  xxxiv.  2.  See  how  he  exemplifies  this  resolution  in  the 
eighteenth  Psalm  :  "  I  will  love  Thee,  Oh  Lord,  my  strength. 
The  Lord  is  my  rock,  and  my  fortress,  and  my  deliverer  ; 
my  God  ;  my  strength  in  whom  I  will  trust :  my  buckler ; 
and  the  horn  of  my  salvation,  and  my  high  tower."     With 


136  MANIFOLD   BENEFITS 

a  similarly  joyful  and  appropriating  faith,  does  the  Psalm- 
ist pour  forth  his  gratitude  in  this  hundred  and  third  Psalm. 
In  this  portion  of  it,  David  appears  to  delight  himself  ex- 
ceedingly in  the  Lord  his  God.  He  exults  in  the  twofold 
persuasion,  that  whatever  is  good,  or  useful,  or  desirable,  is 
centred  in  God ;  and  secondly,  that  whatsoever  God  thus  is, 
and  has,  He  is  to  him,  and  has  for  him,  and  that  for  ever, 
through  Christ  Jesus.  Blessed  persuasion !  It  is  at  once 
the  sure  foundation,  and  the  crowning  topstone,  of  all  true 
happiness.  May  this  persuasion  be  ours  in  life  and  death  ! 
God  is  the  Fountain  of  all  blessedness — a  Fountain,  the 
healing  virtue  of  which,  to  fallen  man,  freely  and  fully  flows, 
through  the  pierced  heart  of  His  only  Son,  and  our  Elder 
Brother :  "  For  it  pleased  the  Father  that  in  Him  should  all 
fulness  dwell."  Colos.  i.  19.  Yea,  again,  adds  the  Apostle, 
"  In  Him  dwelleth  all  the  fulness  of  the  Godhead  bodily." 
Coloss.  ii.  9.  And  all  this  fulness  is  made  over  to  us  "  in 
Him ;  whether  things  present,  or  things  to  come ;  all  are 
yours  ;  and  ye  are  Christ's,  and  Christ  is  God's."  1  Cor.  iii. 
32.  St.  John,  who  lay  in  the  bosom  of  that  Fulness,  thus 
invites  us  all  to  become  partakers  of  it  with  himself:  "That 
which  we  have  seen  and  heard  declare  we  unto  you,  that  ye 
also  may  have  fellowship  with  us  :  and  truly  our  fellowship 
is  with  the  Father,  and  with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  And 
these  things  write  we  unto  you,  that  your  joy  may  be  full." 
1  John  i.  3,  4.  The  "joy"  of  the  Psalmist,  as  a  partaker  of 
this  Divine  fellowship,  was  "  full"  to  overflowing  with  these 
sevenfold  benefits — "The  Lord  is  merciful  and  gracious, 
slow  to  anger,  and  plenteous  in  mercy  ;  He  will  not  always 


FLOWING  OUT  OF  THE  CHARACTER  OF  GOD.   137 

chide :  neither  will  He  keep  His  anger  for  ever.  He  hath 
not  dealt  with  us  after  our  sins,  nor  rewarded  us  according 
to  our  iniquities." 

The  Lord  is  most  compassionate  and  '•  merciful"  in  His 
thoughts  and  feelings  towards  us,  and  He  is  truly  "  gracious" 
in  His  manner  of  expressing  these  feelings,  and  of  manifest- 
ing that  mercy.  Instead  of  being  swift  to  punish,  as  He 
might  justly  be,  He  is  "  slow  to  anger;"  and  so  far  from  be- 
ing easily  provoked,  and  soon  exhausted  in  patience  by  re- 
peated offences,  on  the  very  contrary  "  He"  is  plenteous  in 
mercy."  God  may  occasionally  hide  His  face  from  His 
people — ^but  "  He  doth  not  always  chide."  He  may  take 
vengeance  on  their  inventions,  and  punish  them  with  His 
rod, — but  "  He  doth  not  keep  His  anger  for  ever."  No  man 
may  doubt  or  deny  these  six  truths,  for  this  is  the  proof  and 
evidence  of  them  all — "  He  hath  not  dealt  with  us  after  our 
sins,  nor  rewarded  us  according  to  our  iniquities  ?"  Is  there 
one  of  our  shortcomings,  or  our  transgressions,  which  He 
has  visited  as  it  deserves  ;  or  as  our  omissions  of  duty,  and 
our  commissions  of  offence,  are  visited  by  men  1  How  im- 
peratively do  these  sevenfold  blessings  demand  the  immedi- 
ate gratitude,  and  the  unreserved  devotedness,  of  every  hu- 
man being  !  Where  is  the  individual  to  be  found,  upon  the 
surface  of  the  globe,  who  can  prefer  a  charge  against  the 
holy  God,  and  say.  He  hath  laid  upon  me  more  than  is  just  1 
If,  on  the  contrary,  we  must  all  acknowledge  that  He  has 
laid  less  than  He  justly  might,  how  powerful,  how  constrain- 
ing, how  irresistible,  becomes  the  argument,  and  the  obli- 
gation, upon  every  living  man  to  stir  himself  up  with  David, 


138  MANIFOLD   BENEFITS 

to  love  and  to  serve  the  Lord  with  most  willmg  obedience, 
and  to  say,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul :  and  all  that  is 
within  me,  bless  His  holy  name,  who  hath  not  dealt  with  me 
after  my  sins,  nor  rewarded  me  according  to  my  iniquities." 
The  long-suffering  of  God  towards  our  fallen  family,  is 
one  of  the  most  marvellous  and  delightful  themes  on  which 
the  mind  can  meditate.  It  would  be  altogether  beyond  be- 
lief, had  not  God  himself  declared  it,  and  did  not  our  own 
experience,  over  and  over  again,  convince  us  of  the  fact. 
Nor  is  this  long-suffering  the  result  either  of  ignorance  or  of 
indifference.  The  Lord  fully  knows  every  unholy  thought 
which  His  creatures  entertain,  and  He  discerns  every  un- 
worthy motive  by  which  they  are  actuated.  He  hears  every 
idle  word,  and  "  all  the  hard  speeches  which  ungodly  sinners 
utter  against  Him."  Jude  15.  He  observes  every  sinful 
action  they  perform,  and  He  marks  all  the  ungodly  deeds 
which  they  commit.  He  discerns.  He  hears,  He  marks,  all 
this,  over  the  whole  circumference  of  the  globe,  at  every 
moment  of  time,  both  by  night  and  by  day,  on  the  sea  and 
on  the  land  ;  He  abhors  it  all  with  infinite  abhorrence,  and 
yet  He  breaks  not  forth  in  vengeance  upon  this  world  of 
sinners.  Look  at  the  nearest  town  or  village,  or  at  any 
other,  with  which  you  are  best  acquainted.  Say,  are  the 
great  majority  of  its  inhabitants  meek  and  holy,  pious  and 
self-denied,  humble,  charitable,  and  heavenly-minded  ?  Is  it 
only  the  minority  amongst  them  who  are  worldly,  covetous, 
high-minded,  and  lovers  of  frivolty  and  pleasure  1  The  con- 
clusion to  which  observation  causes  you  to  come,  in  refer- 
ence to  that  one  town  or  village,  will  apply  also  to  every 


FLOWING  OUT  OF  THE  CHARACTER  OF  GOT).   139 

Other  town  and  village  in  these  three  Kingdoms.  Remember 
that  these  are  professedly  Christian  kingdoms  :  and  then,  if 
you  carry  out  the  same  conclusion  to  all  other  Christian 
countries,  who  shall  accuse  you  as  either  mistaken  or  un- 
charitable 1  If  such  be  the  state  of  Christendom,  what  is 
the  condition  of  the  whole  heathen  world  1  Put,  then, 
together  the  innumerable  towns  and  villages  of  this  habitable 
globe,  and  say,  is  there  one  of  them  where  sin  and  nature 
do  not  predominate  above  grace  and  goodness  ; — ^where  even 
to  human  eyes  and  ears,  there  is  not  more  cursing  than 
blessing,  more  profanation  than  prayer,  more  open  wicked- 
ness than  professed  godliness? — and  say  then  can  a  holy 
God  look  down  upon  any  one  of  them  with  pleasure  ?  If 
not,  why  does  He  not  sweep  the  whole  world  into  destruction 
in  a  moment  ?  The  only  answer  that  can  be  given  is  this — 
Because  He  is  a  long-suffering  God  ! 

Did  the  Most  High  "  lay  righteousness  to  the  line,  and 
strict  justice  to  the  plumbline,"  there  is  not  a  human  being 
that  could  stand  the  measurement.  We  must  all  have  been 
cut  off  in  the  first  moment  that  we  sinned  :  "  If  Thou,  Lord, 
shouldst  mark  iniquity,  O  Lord  !  who  shall  stand  ?"  If  He 
should  call  us  to  an  account  for  only  "  one  out  of  every 
thousand"  of  our  transgressions,  we  should  be  consigned  to 
everlasting  perdition.  "  The  wages  of  sin,"  of  all  and  every 
sin,  "  is  death."  Rom.  vi.  23.  "  Cursed  is  every  one,"  saith 
the  Scripture,  "that  continueth  not  in  all  things  that  are 
written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them."  Gal.  iii.  10. 
If,  then,  our  deserved  reward  be  "  death,"  what  have  we  to 
say  against  God,  seeing  that  we  are  this  day  alive  ?     Does 


140  MANIFOLD   BENEFITS 

not  our  very  existence  testify  to  the  long-suffering  of  our 
God  ?  Yes,  every  breath  we  draw,  every  step  we  take, 
every  hour's  happiness  that  we  enjoy,  every  friend  that 
gladdens  our  earthly  lot,  every  new  day  that  opens  to  us 
after  another,  all  speak  to  ns  of  mercy  and  long-suffering 
from  on  high.  Well  therefore  has  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  in 
the  very  midst  of  his  most  pathetic  lamentations,  thus  ex- 
postulated with  himself  and  others,  "  Wherefore  doth  a 
living  man  complain,  a  man  for  the  punishment  of  his  sins  1" 
Lam.  iii.  39.  If  we  are  still  alive,  and  not  yet  cast  into  the 
burning  lake,  we  have  no  cause  to  complain,  but  every  cause 
to  be  thankful. 

True  it  is,  that  suffering  is  the  consequent  of  sin.  The 
Psalmist  does  not  declare  that  God  never  punishes  iniquity. 
On  the  contrary,  he  plainly  intimates  that  He  does  punish 
it ;  for  His  words  refer  to  the  measure  of  that  punishment. 
The  Lord  does  indeed  deal  with  us  for  our  sins,  because  of 
our  sins.  He  does  chastise  us  on  account  of  our  transgress- 
ions ;  but  never  in  this  life,  "  according  to  our  iniquities," 
up  to  the  measure  of  our  provocations.  That  measure  is  to 
be  meted  out  to  the  unbelieving  and  impenitent  in  the  world 
to  come.  Yet  even  there,  in  the  torments  of  "  the  worm 
that  never  dies,  and  of  the  fire  that  never  shall  be  quenched," 
no  sinner,  through  the  endless  ages  of  woe,  shall  be  able  to 
arraign  the  sentence  of  the  Great  Judge,  and  say.  My 
punishment  is  greater  than  my  iniquities  deserve  !  No  ! — 
never  once  shall  it  be.  "  The  Lord  is  righteous  in  all  His 
works,  and  holy  in  all  His  ways."  He  will  not  in  this  life, 
He  will  not  in  the  life  to  come,  "  lay  upon  man  more  than 


FLOWING  OUT  OF  THE  CHARACTER  OF  GOD.   141 

right,  that  he  should  enter  into  judgment  with  God."  Job. 
xxxiv.  23. 

The  good  news  of  mercy  in  Christ  Jesus  are  commanded 
to  be  "  preached  in  all  the  world,  to  every  creature."  Mark 
xvi.  15.  "  The  wrath  of  God  is  also  revealed  from  heaven 
against  all  ungodliness  and  unrighteousness  of  men."  Rom. 
i.  18.  These  two  truths  should  run  broad  and  parallel 
throughout  the  earth.  They  demand  equal  publicity  :  they 
should  find  equal  admission  into  every  heart.  The  mercy 
of  the  Lord  is  not  proclaimed  to  man  that  he  may  continue 
in  sin,  but  that,  on  the  contrary,  he  may  be  turned  from  it. 
"  God  having  raised  up  His  Son  Jesus,  sent  Him  to  bless 
you,"  says  the  Apostle,  "  in  turning  away  every  one  of  you 
from  his  iniquities."  Acts  iii.  26.  The  wrath  of  God  is  not 
declared  against  a  man  when  turning  from  his  sin,  but  when 
remaining  in  it,  or  returning  to  it.  Let  these  two  truths  be 
deeply  impressed  upon  our  minds.  Let  them  be  broad  and 
bright  before  our  eyes, — shining  with  meridian  clearness. 
He  who  sits  upon  the  throne  of  the  universe  is  merciful  and 
gracious,  but  at  the  same  time  justice  and  judgment  are  the 
habitation,  or  basis,  of  His  throne.  Psa.  Ixxxix.  14.  God 
"  commandeth  all  men  everywhere  to  repent."  Acts  xvii.  30. 
He  graciously  promises  mercy  and  forgiveness  to  all  those 
that  truly  turn  to  Him.  But  if  any  man  will  not  turn,  He 
will  whet  His  sword  ;  He  hath  bent  his  bow,  and  made  it 
ready.  He  hath  also  prepared  for  him  the  instruments  of 
death."  Psa.  vii.  12.  Is,  therefore,  "  God  unrighteous  who 
taketh  vengeance  ? — God  forbid  !"  Rom.  iii.  5,  6.  We  are 
sure,  says  the  Apostle,  that  "  the  judgment  of  God  is  accord- 


142  MANIFOLD  BENEFITS 

ing  to  truth."  He  must  be  as  true  to  His  threatenings,  as 
He  is  faithful  to  His  promises.  Men  "  despise  the  riches  of 
His  goodness,  and  forbearance,  and  long-suffering  :"  They 
presume  upon  that  mercy,  which  is  designed  to  lead  them 
to  repentance.  In  the  hardness  and  impenitency  of  their 
hearts,  they  "  treasure  up  unto  themselves  wrath  against  the 
day  of  wrath,  and  revelation  of  the  righteous  judgment  of 
God."  That  day  is  at  hand, — that  solemn  day ;  and  then 
God  '*  will  render  to  every  man  according  to  his  deeds.  To 
them  who,  by  patient  continuance  in  well-doing,  seek  for 
glory  and  honor  and  immortality,  eternal  life :  but  unto 
them  that  are  contentious,  and  do  not  obey  the  truth,  but 
obey  unrighteousness,  indignation  and  wrath.  Tribulation 
and  anguish  upon  every  soul  of  man  that  doeth  evil,  of  the 
Jew  first,  and  also  of  the  Gentile :  but  glory,  honor,  and 
peace  to  every  man  that  worketh  good,  to  the  Jew  first,  and 
also  to  the  Gentile  :  for  there  is  no  respect  of  persons  with 
God.  For  as  many  as  have  sinned  without  law  shall  also 
perish  without  law  :  and  as  many  as  have  sinned  in  the  law 
shall  be  judged  by  the  law ;  in  the  day  when  God  shall 
judge  the  secrets  of  men  by  Jesus  Christ."  Rom.  ii.  7 — 12. 
"  To-day,"  while  it  is  called  "  to-day,"  the  voices  of  the 
Law  and  of  the  Gospel  sound  commingled  in  our  ears.  Soon 
their  voices  will  have  died  away, — but  the  blessing  and  the 
curse,  which  they  have  respectively  proclaimed,  will  be  left 
behind,  as  the  inheritance  of  their  respective  followers. 
Those  who  have  turned  from  sin  to  Christ,  will  inherit  the 
blessing.  Those  who  have  turned  from  Christ  to  sin,  will 
inherit  the  curse.     The  "  children  of  the  blessing"  will  ex- 


FLOWING  OUT  OF  THE  CHARACTER  OF  GOD.   143 

perience,  that  though  the  Lord  did  chasten  them  for  their 
backslidings,  and  punish  thera  for  their  provocations,  yet 
that  it  was  in  very  love  and  mercy  to  their  souls.  They  will 
thank  Him,  therefore,  for  His  chidings,  and  bless  Him  for 
all  His  corrections  ;  perceiving  that  "  He  doth  not  always 
chide" — and  joyfully  acknowledging  that  "  He  has  not  kept 
His  anger  for  ever."  The  "  children  of  the  curse"  will  dis- 
cover, that  though  the  Lord  was  "  merciful  and  gracious, 
slow  to  anger,  and  plenteous  in  mercy"  toward  them,  in  the 
days  of  their  earthly  life  ;  yet  in  like  manner  as  they  put 
away  His  goodness  from  them,  and  "  would  none  of  His 
reproof,"  so  Jesus  Himself  will  say,  "  Those  mine  enemies, 
who  would  not  that  I  should  reign  over  them,  bring  hither, 
and  slay  them  before  Me."  Luke  xix.  27.  For  "  then  shall 
the  Lord  Jesus  be  revealed  from  heaven  with  His  mighty 
angels,  in  flaming  fire  taking  vengeance  on  them  that  know 
not  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ :  who  shall  be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  His 
power."     2.  Thess.  i.  7—9. 

God  is  "  merciful"  even  to  His  enemies  in  this  life,  but  it 
is  only  to  those  that  love  Him,  that  His  mercy  will  be  ex- 
hibited in  the  life  to  come.  This  Psalm  was  written  by  a 
believer,  and  its  declarations  are  applicable  only  to  the  faith- 
ful. Culpable  beyond  expression,  is  he,  whosoever  would 
pervert  the  words  of  this  ninth  verse,  to  uphold  his  own  fab- 
ricated system  of  charity  and  mercy,  falsely  so  called.  The 
argument  that  would  abate  the  punishment  of  the  wicked, 
would  terminate  also  the  blessedness  of  the  righteous ;  for 


144  MANIFOLD   BENEFITS 

the  same  Scriptures  which  reveal  "  eternal  salvation"  to. the 
one,  Heb.  v.  9,  have  revealed  "  eternal  condemnation"  to  the 
other.  Mark  iii.  29.  We  tremble,  and  indeed  we  ought  to 
tremble,  at  the  awful  truth.  But  let  not  these  tremblings 
in  our  flesh,  produce  any  tremblings  in  our  faith  :  "  God  is 
not  a  man  that  He  should  lie ;  neither  the  Son  of  man  that 
He  should  repent ;  hath  He  said,  and  shall  He  not  do  it  1 
or  hath  He  spoken,  and  shall  He  not  make  it  good  f  Num. 
xxiii.  19.  He,  who  was  love  and  charity  personified, — Je- 
sus, in  whose  benignant  breast  there  dwelt  more  mercy,  than 
the  collected  tendernesses  of  the  whole  human  race  could 
furnish,  has  Himself  declared,  "  These  shall  go  away  into 
everlasting  punishment,  but  the  righteous  into  life  eternal." 
Matt.  XXV.  46.  It  is  enough,  therefore,  that  the  lips  of  In. 
carnate  Love  have  pronounced  these  words.  We  leave  the 
whole  question  as  He  has  stated  it,  assured  that  the  end  will 
prove  that  "  the  Lord  is  upright,  and  that  there  is  no  un- 
righteousness with  Him."     Psa.  xcii.  15. 

With  this  comforting  persuasion  of  the  integrity  of  the 
Lord  in  all  the  principles  of  His  government,  let  us  proceed 
to  consider  their  practical  application  to  ourselves.  In  that 
eternal  world  the  conscience  of  the  sinner  will  re-echo  the 
sentence  of  the  Judge.  Every  lost  spirit  will  then  perceive 
the  justice  of  its  condemnation,  for  thus  prophesied  the 
seventh  from  Adam :  "  Behold,  the  Lord  cometh  with  ten 
thousand  of  his  saints,  to  execute  judgment  upon  all,  and  to 
CONVINCE  all  that  are  ungodly  among  them,  of  all  their  un- 
godly deeds  which  they  have  ungodly  committed,  and  of  all 
their   hard   speeches  which  ungodly  sinners    have  spoken 


FLOWING   OUT   OF   THE   CHARACTER   OF   GOD.      145 

agamst  Him."  Jude  14,  15.  Are  we,  then,  let  us  ask  ere 
it  be  too  late, — are  we  convinced  of  the  righteousness  of  the 
Lord  in  all  our  tribulations  ?  Have  we  been  taught  by  Di- 
vine grace  to  justify  the  Lord's  dealings  with  ourselves,  un- 
der losses,  sufferings,  and  bereavements,  in  this  vale  of  tears "? 
Or  do  we  "  kick  against  the  pricks,"  and  rebel  against  the 
Hand  that  smites  us  ?  Do  we  scowl  like  Cain,  and  mutter 
"  my  punishment  is  greater  than  I  can  bear"  ?  Or  can  we, 
and  do  we,  testify  from  our  very  hearts,  each  of  us  for  him- 
self, "  The  Lord  hath  not  dealt  with  me  after  my  sins,  neither 
hath  He  rewarded  me  according  to  my  iniquities  ?  All  men 
can  thus  testify  :  that  is,  all  men  with  truth  and  justice  have 
reason,  and  ought,  to  bear  witness  to  the  Lord's  long-suffer- 
ing towards  them.  They  all  live  by  His  sufferance,  they  all 
depend  upon  His  bounty,  they  are  all  safe  by  His  protection. 
All  men,  therefore,  can,  but  alas!  all  men  do  not,  thus 
heartily  testify  of  the  loving-kindness  of  their  God.  Hence 
arises  the  necessity  for  this  double  question, — Can  you,  and 
do  you,  imitate  the  example  of  the  Psalmist  ?  Can  you  set 
to  your  seal  that  God  is  good  '?  Are  you  convinced  that 
you  have  reason  to  speak  favorably  of  the  Lord's  dealings 
with  you  ?  And,  being  so  convinced,  do  you  rejoice  to 
speak  favorably  of  His  name  1  Do  you  take  pleasure  in 
celebrating  His  mercy  ?  Do  you  watch  for  opportunities  to 
tell  forth  His  goodness  1  Do  you  try  to  incite  others  to  ex- 
tol His  long-suffering  to  them  and  to  yourselves,  saying,  like 
David,  "  O  magnify  the  Lord  with  me,  and  let  us  exalt  His 
name  together"  1 

If  this  be  your  delight,  go  on  to  still  higher  graces.     Pray 


146  MANIFOLD   BENEFITS 

like  the  Apostles,  "  Lord,  increase  my  faith."  Never 
stagger  at  the  promises  of  God  through  unbelief.  Be  deeply 
learned  in  the  excellencies  of  Jesus.  "  Acquaint  thyself 
with  Him,  and  be  at  peace,  and  thereby  good  shall  come 
unto  thee."  Grow  in  the  knowledge  of  thy  Lord  and  Sav- 
iour. Meditate  on  all  His  revealed  offices,  characters,  and 
relationships.  Ask  the  Holy  Spirit  to  enable  thee  to  believe 
with  a  firm  faith  that  God  really  is  what  the  Bible  describes. 
At  all  times,  and  under  all  circumstances,  trust  in  Him. 
Be  deeply  persuaded  that  thy  Lord  is  "  merciful  and  gra- 
cious, slow  to  anger,  and  plenteous  in  mercy."  Hold  fast 
by  Christ's  love,  whatever  appearances  may  say  to  the  con- 
trary. Have  anxieties  befallen  thee  ?  Dost  thou  toil  and  la- 
bor with  little  apparent  profit  or  progress  ?  Does  a  sea  of 
trouble  encompass  thee  1  And  dost  thou  sometimes  fear 
that  all  these  indicate  thy  Saviour's  frown  1  Oh  no  ! — still 
wait.  Even  if  it  be  so,  He  will  "  not  always  chide."  Soon 
thou  shalt  see  Him  through  the  gloom.  Hearken,  and  His 
voice  will  reach  thee  above  the  storm,  saying,  "  It  is  I,  be 
not  afraid."  Do  not,  therefore,  Oh  do  not  hastily  conclude 
from  earthly  trials  that  God  is  angry  with  thee.  Satan  will 
tempt  thee  so  to  think  ;  but  resist  him.  Say,  "  It  is  writ- 
ten"— "  If  ye  be  without  chastisement,  whereof  all  are  par- 
takers, then  are  ye  bastards,  and  not  sons,"  Heb.  xii.  8  ;  and 
again,  "  Whom  the  Lord  loveth,  He  chasteneth,  and  scourg- 
eth  every  son  whom  He  receiveth."  But  if  Satan  still 
"  thrust  sore  at  thee  to  make  thee  fall,"  Psa.  cxviii.  13  ;  and 
if  thine  own  conscience  cry  likewise  against  thee  that  God 
has  much  reason  to  be  angry ;  still  hope  in  God  through 


FLOWING  OUT  OF  THE  CHAEACTER  OF  GOD.   147 

Christ,  and  answer,  "I  know  that  I  have  greatly  grieved  my 
Lord ;"  but  "  it  is  written" — "  He  will  not  keep  His  anger 
for  ever ;"  and  I  know  that  even  now  "  He  has  not  dealt 
with  me  after  my  sins,  nor  rewarded  me  according  to  my 
iniquities" — "  therefore  will  I  praise  the  name  of  the  Lord 
with  a  song,  and  magnify  Him  with  thanksgiving." 

What  we  all  need,  by  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  to 
have  lively  impressions,  continually  on  our  hearts,  of  the 
truths  which  we  here  learn,  that  we  may  be  stirred  up  to 
diligent  performance  of  the  duties  here  inculcated.  We 
must  lay  them  up  in  the  heart.  It  is  not  enough  to  have  a 
mere  passing  notion  of  them  in  the  head.  It  is  one  thing 
coldly  to  say,  "  I  know  that  God  has  not  dealt  with  me  as  I 
deserve,"  and  quite  another  to  say  this  with  a  deep  conscious- 
ness of  the  sins  that  we  have  committed,  and  a  vivid  sense 
of  His  long-suffering  in  forbearing  with  them.  David  pos- 
sessed both  of  these.  In  this  ninth  verse  he  utters  this 
double  truth,  with  this  twofold  consciousness.  It  was  no 
mere  simple  admission  in  the  mouth  of  David.  He  felt  it 
more  than  a  sharp  two-edged  sword  within  liim  :  "  For  the 
Word  of  God  is  quick,  and  powerful,  and  sharper  than  any 
two-edged  sword,  piercing  even  to  the  dividing  asunder  of 
soul  and  spirit,  and  of  the  joints  and  marrow,  and  is  a  dis- 
cerner  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of  the  heart."  Heb.  iv. 
12.  In  these  verses  the  Psalmist  fixes  upon  our  mind  both 
what  God  has  done  to  us,  and  what  we  have  done  to  Him. 
His  words  exalt  the  "  merciful"  Creator,  and  abase  us  the 
sinful  creatures.  They  exhibit  the  conduct  of  the  Most 
High  in  bri^rht  contrast  with  that  of  man.     He  has  been 


148  MANIFOLD   BENEriTS. 

"  gracious"  to  us  in  all  His  dealings,  and  we  have  sinned 
against  Him  times  and  ways  without  number.  We  have 
daily  provoked  Him  to  His  face,  and  yet  He  has  not  once 
punished  us  according  to  the  amount  of  our  transgressions. 
Again  and  again  therefore  let  it  be  repeated,  "  He  has  not 
dealt  with  us  after  our  sins,  nor  rewarded  us  according  to  our 
iniquities." 

Oh  the  goodness  of  God  and  the  unworthiness  of  man ! 
Thy  long-suffering  Lord,  and  my  multiplied  transgressions, 
who  shall  declare !  Oh  touch  and  teach  my  inmost  soul. 
Rouse  me  from  insensibility,  and  quicken  me  to  life.  Pour 
upon  my  heart  Thy  enlightening  Spirit ;  and,  bright  as  the 
sun,  irradiate  my  mind  with  these  two  truths — Thy  good- 
ness, and  my  unworthiness.  All  revelation  teaches  me — 
all  Nature  certifies  me — all  experience  convinces  me — every 
day,  every  hour,  and  every  circumstance,  cries  aloud  to  me 
of  Thy  goodness,  and  my  unworthiness  ?  These,  the  two 
grand  facts  in  the  history  of  my  past  life,  are  also  the  two 
great  truths  in  the  recorded  Scriptures  of  my  God ;  these, 
the  first  lessons  of  my  infant  faith,  shall  also  be  the  last 
utterances  of  my  departing  breath, — ^Thy  goodness,  and  my 
unworthiness ! 


god's   MERCT — ITS   HEIGHT — ITS    EMBLEM HEAVEn's   HEIGHT. 

YoT  as  the  heaven  is  high  ahove  the  earth,  so  great  is  His 
mercy  towards  them  that  fear  Him.—'Verse  11. 

So  enlarged  does  the  heart  of  the  Psalmist  become  with 
meditating  on  the  long-suffering  goodness  of  his  Lord,  that 
language  fails  any  longer  to  express  the  emotions  which 
rise  within  his  breast.  So  vast,  so  glorious,  is  the  theme, 
that  it  overpowers  his  mind.  If,  even  in  reference  to  earthly 
things,  there  are  thoughts  which  lie  too  deep  for  utterance — 
which  labor  for  adequate  expression  ;  how  much  more  will 
this  be  felt  by  the  believer,  when  the  Omniscient  Spirit  has 
led  his  mind  into  the  deep  things  of  God  1 

In  the  renewed  soul,  there  are  depths  of  sorrow,  and 
heights  of  joy  which  cannot  possibly  be  described.  On  the 
one  hand,  loathings  of  self  and  sin  are  awakened  by  the 
Holy  One,  which  can  find  vent  only  in  sighs  and  tears.  The 
Refiner  searches  into  the  innermost  recesses  of  the  human 
spirit,  the  soul  becomes  agitated  to  its  centre — a  living  fire 
from  the  sanctifying  Spirit  has  entered  it,  and  sins,  like 
snakes   before   unnoticed  issue   from   their   lurking-places, 


150  IMMEASUEABLE   BENEFITS — MERCY. 

hissing  yet  retreating,  writhing  yet  resisting  in  every  part. 
We  become  wretched  and  appalled  at  the  spiritual  conflict — 
at  the  war  of  elements,  within  us.  Words  fail  upon  the 
tongue.  Even  prayer  dies  away  from  the  lip.  But  then, 
even  then,  blessed  be  God,  His  own  Spirit  condescends  to 
pray  from  within  us,  and  to  make  intercessions  on  our  be- 
half "  with  groanings  that  cannot  be  uttered."  Heb.  viii.  26, 
This  is  indeed  a  sorrow  which  the  world  knoweth  not,  and 
with  which  a  stranger  cannot  intermeddle.  On  the  other 
hand,  there  is  also  a  spiritual  joy  which  overpowers  express- 
ion. When  the  love  of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  the  heart  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the  Spirit  Himself  beareth  witness 
with  our  spirit,  that  we  are  the  children  of  God  ;  when  the 
sweet  consciousness  of  God's  love  to  us,  and  of  our  love 
to  Him,  is  imparted  to  the  soul — and  when  this  felt  blessed- 
ness of  holy  mutual  love,  awakens  an  intense  longing  for 
nearer  and  never-ending  communion.  Cant.  ii.  5 — 7 ;  then 
indeed  the  soul  feels  lost  in  that  love  which  passeth  knowl- 
edge ;  the  language  of  emotion  supersedes  the  language  of 
expression — the  Lord  God  Almighty  is  silently  "  resting  in 
His  love,"  and  the  enraptured  soul  is  resting  therein  with 
Him.  Zeph.  iii.  17.  (Margin.)  St.  Peter  thus  appeals  to 
his  Christian  brethren  for  the  truth  of  this  ineffable  and 
thrilling  joy  in  their  adorable  Redeemer  :  "  Whom  having 
not  seen,"  he  says,  "  ye  love  :  in  whom,  though  now  you  see 
Him  not,  yet  believing,  ye  rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable  and 
full  of  glory,"  1.  Pet.  i.  8. 

Believers   under  the  Old  Testament   dispensation  were 
privileged,  like  believers  under  the  New,  to  know  that  love 


IMMKASUKABLE  BENEFITS — MERCY.  151 

which  passeth  knowledge.  David  was  a  partaker  of  this 
unspeakable  spiritual  joy.  In  this,  and  other  Psalms,  he 
labors  to  express  emotions  which  no  language  can  adequate- 
ly describe.  He  had  enumerated  various  blessings.  He 
had  specially  alluded  to,  and  mentioned,  several  times,  the 
"  mercy"  of  the  Lord.  But  his  sense  of  that  long-suffering 
mercy  was  far  too  great  to  be  comprehended  within  the 
mere  term.  He  turns  therefore  from  the  use  of  direct  state- 
ments to  employ  illustrative  comparisons  ;  and  in  the  next 
verses  introduces  the  most  beautiful  and  appropriate  images 
that  can  possibly  be  imagined.  He  feels  himself,  also,  to  be 
so  unworthy  of  that  mercy,  that  he  searches  in  vain  for  the 
cause  of  it  in  himself.  No  sooner,  however,  does  he  turn 
to  meditate  on  the  character  of  God,  than  the  true  cause 
bursts  at  once  upon  his  view.  He  joyfully  discovers  the 
truth,  that  the  reason  why  God  had  not  dealt  with  him  ac- 
cording to  a  limited  measure  of  mercy,  was  because  His 
mercy  is  itself  immeasurable.  The  most  immeasurable 
thing,  therefore,  in  the  whole  visible  creation  must  now  be- 
come to  Him,  instead  of  words,  the  proper  symbol,  the  ap- 
propriate expression,  of  that  mercy.  And  having  said  in  the 
verses  just  before,  that  the  Lord  was  "  merciful  and  gracious," 
and  that  He  had  "  not  dealt  with  him  after  his  sins,  nor  award- 
ed him  according  to  his  iniquities  ;"  he  amplifies  and  illus- 
trates his  idea,  and  exclaims,  in  the  11th,  "  For  as  the  heaven 
is  high  above  the  earth,  so  great  is  His  mercy  towards  them 
that  fear  Him.  As  if  he  would  say,  "  This  is  the  reason  why 
the  Lord  shows  such  marvellous  long-suffering  towards  me, 
because  His  long-suffering  is  utterly  inexhaustible." 


152      IMMEASURABLE  BENEFITS— MERCY. 

Our  sins  and  iniquities  are  immeasurable  in  their  guilt. 
How,  then,  shall  our  fears  be  quieted  1  By  remembering 
that  there  is  something  more  immeasurable  still — the  mercy 
of  the  Lord  !  Does  the  vastness  of  this  declaration  cause 
thy  faith  to  stagger "?  And  dost  thou  say,  "  But  how  shall 
I  believe  in  a  mercy  like  this,  which  I  can  neither  see  nor 
prove  ?"  Here  is  a  mode  of  measurement  proposed,  which 
you  daily  see,  and  which  you  can  constantly  apply.  Go 
forth  from  thy  dwelling-place,  and  look  upward  to  the 
heavens.  Seest  thou  the  blue  sky  1 — Dost  thou  doubt  its 
existence? — Canst  thou  measure  its  height?  That  heaven 
is  but  one  of  the  letters  in  God's  universal  alphabet,  by 
which  he  carries  on,  in  part,  the  education  of  His  children. 
All  believers  have  been  instructed  in  this  school.  Abraham, 
the  father  of  the  faithful,  received  here  the  rudiments  of  his 
knowledge ;  and  the  Almighty  God  Himself  condescended 
to  instruct  him.  Ignorant  as  a  child,  and  unbelieving,  this 
illuminated  letter  was  pointed  out  to  him  by  the  finger  of 
his  Divine  Teacher, — "  Look  now  toward  heaven,  and  tell 
the  stars,  if  thou  be  able  to  number  them ;  and  He  said 
unto  them.  So  shall  thy  seed  be.  And  he  believed  in  the 
Lord  ;  and  He  counted  it  to  him  for  righteousness."  Gen. 
XV.  5,  6. 

David,  also,  gained  heavenly  wisdom  in  the  same  school. 
The  one  looked  upward  to  the  heaven,  and  beheld  in  its 
countless  host,  a  picture  of  his  own  countless  posterity. 
The  other  looked  up  into  the  same  heaven,  and  beheld  in  its 
immeasurable  height,  an  emblem  of  the  immeasurable  mercy 
of  his  Redeemer,     David  studied  God  in  His  works,  and 


IMMEASUEABLE   BENEFITS — MERCY.  153 

he  studied  these  works  m  God.  The  heavens,  we  know, 
were  the  frequent  object  of  his  contemplation  ;  equally,  we 
doubt  not,  when  he  was  a  simple  shepherd,  as  when  he  was 
a  mighty  kmg.  The  cool  of  the  evening,  perhaps,  might 
find  him  reclining  on  a  verdant  bank,  while  his  flock  was 
browsing  around  him.  His  favorite  harp  is  in  his  hand. 
No  human  listener  is  near,  while  he  sings  to  himself,  and  to 
his  God,  in  untutored  strains  of  grateful  melody.  Emotion 
kindles  with  his  lays,  and  soon  rises  above  them.  The  notes 
of  his  harp  become  gradually  faint  and  silent.  His  out- 
stretched fingers  cease  to  sweep  its  strings,  for  his  eyes  and 
his  thoughts  have  become  fLxed  on  the  heavens,  as  if  he  were 
gazing  through  them  upon  its  happy  inhabitants  :  and,  while 
his  wrapt  soul  is  thus  listening  to  the  spiritual  music  of  its 
own  emotions,  he  fancies  for  the  moment  that  he  hears  the 
strains  of  the  angelic  choir.  David,  when  a  king,  delighted 
in  the  frequent  contemplation  of  this  great  work  of  the 
Almighty,  and  in  the  grandeur  of  the  view,  all  lofty  thoughts 
of  his  own  grandeur  as  a  monarch  were  lowered  to  the 
ground.  "  When  I  consider  Thy  heavens,"  he  says,  '•  the 
work  of  Thy  fingers,  the  moon  and  the  stars,  which  Thou 
hast  ordained,  what  is  man,  that  Thou  art  mindful  of  him  ? 
and  the  son  of  man,  that  Thou  visitest  him  ?"  Psa.  viii.  3,  4. 
Well,  indeed  may  the  survey  of  the  magnificent  canopy 
of  the  heavens  abase  man  in  his  own  estimation.  For  the 
same  reason,  however,  it  should  exalt,  unspeakably  exalt, 
the  Great  God,  in  the  apprehension  of  every  mtelligent 
being.  We,  who  camiot  pierce  its  height,  nor  scan  iu 
breadth,  though  spread  out  before  us,  how  insignifican    / 


154  IMMEASUEABLE   BENEFITS — MERCY. 

small !  He,  who  made  that  heaven  out  of  nothing,  how  im- 
measurably great !  Night  tells  us  of  .His  matchless  power. 
Day  showeth  forth  His  surpassing  splendor.  "  The  heavens 
declare  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  firmament  showeth  His 
handy-work.  Day  unto  day  uttereth  speech,  and  night  unto 
night  showeth  knowledge.  There  is  no  speech  nor  language, 
where  their  voice  is  not  heard.  Their  line  is  gone  out 
through  all  the  earth,  and  their  words  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  In  them  hath  he  set  a  tabernacle  for  the  sun."  Psa. 
xix.  1 — 4. 

It  is  this  "  voice"  of  the  heavens,  which  David  has^  here 
caught  in  his  inmost  soul.  The  lesson  which  he  learned 
from  it,  and  which  he  here  transcribes  for  our  instruction,  is 
this,  "  For  as  the  heaven  is  high  above  the  earth,  so  great  is 
His  mercy  toward  them  that  fear  Him." 

The  "  fear"  here  spoken  of,  is  not  a  slavish  dread,  but  a 
child-like  reverence.  The  more  we  love  an  earthly  parent, 
the  mor6  respect  do  we  entertain  towards  him.  "  God  is 
greatly  to  be  feared  in  the  assembly  of  the  saints,  and  to  be 
had  in  reverence  of  all  them  that  are  about  Him."  Psa. 
Ixxxix.  7.  Such  is  the  sentiment  which  the  Scriptufes  de- 
note by  the  term  "  fear."  The  love  of  an  inferior  to  a 
superior,  of  a  subject  to  a  king,  must  always  be  thus  ac- 
companied. Those  who  acknowledge  not  the  greatness  and 
the  authority  of  the  Lord,  are  described  as  having  "  no  fear 
of  God  before  their  eyes."  Rom.  iii.  18.  But  of  the 
righteous  it  is  said,  "  Happy  is  the  man  that  feareth  alway." 
Prov.  xxviii.  14.  True,  indeed,  the  Scripture  declares  that 
there  is  "  no  fear  in  love."  1  John  iv.  18.     "VVe  are  not 


IMIvIEASUEABLE    BENEFITS — MERCY.  155 

afraid  of  those  whom  we  regard  with  affection, — we  are  not 
apprehensive  that  they  will*  do  us  injury — nor  alarmed  at 
approaching  into  their  presence.  Such  would  not  be  the 
feeling  of  a  child  toward  a  parent,  but  of  a  slave  toward  a 
tyrant.  It  is  filial  and  spiritual  fear  that  is  here  spoken  of. 
Natural  fear  will  cast  out  love  from  the  heart ;  but  tlie 
Apostle  declares  that  "  perfect  love  casteth  out  fear,  because 
fear  hath  torment :"  and  he  who  gives  way  to  such  torment- 
ing apprehensions,  will  be  afraid  to  draw  near  unto  God  as  a 
Father  reconciled  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  "  is  not  made  perfect 
in  love."  But,  on  the  contrary,  that  "  fear"  which  charac- 
terizes the  children  of  God,  is  filial, — is  based  on  love 
towards  Him,  and  cannot  exist  without  it.  The  holy  senti- 
ments of  fear  and  love  are  mutually  productive  and  mutual- 
ly strengthening — they  act  and  re-act,  with  increasing  benefit 
upon  each  other.  The  consciousness  of  having  sinned  against 
God,  increases  the  apprehension  of  His  mercy — and  the  ap- 
prehension of  His  mercy  re-acts  upon  the  heart  with  a 
double  sense  of  its  unworthiness,  the  more  we  feel  this  un- 
worthiness,  the  more  thankful  we  are  to  hear  of  forgiveness  ; 
and  the  more  we  believe  in  the  pardoning  merc}'"  of  God,  the 
more  we  hate  ourselves  for  ever  having  sinned  against  Him. 
The  "  fear"  of  the  Lord  is  absolutely  necessary  to  our  due 
appreciation  of  His  immeasurable  mercy.  Indeed,  without 
this,  we  dare  not  trust  ourselves  to  enlarge  upon  the  delight- 
ful theme.  There  are  many  men  now  living  in  their  sins, 
who  speak  constantly  of  God's  mercy.  They  say  without 
hesitation,  "  We  all  know  that  He  is  a  most  mercifal  God  !"' 
But  whril  is   the   effect  of  this  knowledcre   upon   tlinse,  in 


156  IMMEASURABLE  BENEFITS — MERCY. 

whose  hearts  this  holy  "  fear"  does  not  dwell  ?  Is  it  to 
make  them  love  God  the  more  ?  Nay,  on  the  contrary,  Is 
it  not  to  make  them  love  sin  the  more "?  Their  doctrine  is, 
"  God  is  very  merciful :"  and  their  conclusion  is,  "  therefore 
He  will  not  be  strict  against  us,  and  why  should  we  be  strict 
against  ourselves  f  On  the  other  hand,  what  is  the  effect 
of  a  knowledge  of  God's  mercy  upon  the  man  that  fears 
Him  V  Is  it  not  to  make  him  say,  "  God  is  merciful, 
therefore  I  will  never  willingly  offend  Him  any  more?" 
"  The  fear  of  the  Lord,"  therefore,  is  truly  called  "  the  be- 
ginning of  wisdom."  Psa.  cxi.  10. 

Man,  by  nature,  has  no  sense  of  the  immeasurable  guilt 
of  his  sin,  and  therefore  he  can  have  no  appreciation  of  the 
immeasurable  mercy  of  his  God.  We  neither  see,  nor  feel, 
sin,  as  we  ought,  till  we  are  born  again  of  God's  Holy 
Spirit.  The  natural  "  heart  is  deceitful  above  all  things." 
Jer.  xvii.  9.  We  are  ever  ready  to  take  as  favorable  a  view 
of  our  own  case  as  we  possibly  can.  We  do  not  wish  to 
believe  that  we  are  so  very  bad,  as  some  passages  of  the  sa- 
cred Scriptures  appear  to  declare.  Indulging  this  low  view 
of  sin,  and  not  conceiving  ourselves  to  be  very  great  sin- 
ners, we  must  necessarily  entertain  a  very  low  view  of  that 
mercy  which  forbears  with  us :  and  hence,  also,  we  shall  be 
led  to  argue  that  God  may  easily  forgive,  seeing  that  we 
have  not  committed  any  great  wrong.  This  is  the  inward 
feeling  of  unregenerate  man.  He  says,  "  Surely  it  is  easy 
for  God  to  forgive  me  1"  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  he 
can  never  be  truly  sensible  of  the  Lord's  kindness,  nor 
really  thankful  to  Hi  in,  as  he  ought  to  be,  so  long  as  he 


IMMEASUEABLE   BENEFITS — MERCY.  157 

thinks  and  speaks  in  this  self-righteous  manner.  Our  hearts 
must  be  possessed  by  a  deep  view  of  sin,  and  there  is  but 
one  only  way  to  obtain  it — that  is,  to  learn  it  at  the  cross  of 
Christ.  Go  thither  in  thought,  and  behold  how  much  He 
suffered  for  your  transgressions,  and  thence  learn  their  mag- 
nitude and  their  malignity. 

For  the  sake  of  illustration,  take  a  man  who  entertains  a 
low  view  of  sin,  but  who  nevertheless  admits,  that  he  has 
some  sin ;  for  the  Scripture  saith,  "  if  we  say  that  we  have 
no  sin,  we  make  God  a  liar."  Begin,  then,  the  argument  at 
the  very  lowest  point,  after  this  manner.  Let  us  suppose 
that  you  have  committed  only  one  sin,  and  that  you  can 
look  back  upon  your  past  life,  and  see  it  to  be  free  from 
guilt,  save  in  a  single  instance.  I  do  not  ask  what  that  in- 
stance may  have  been.  It  is  sufficient  that  you  yourself  have 
a  conscious  remembrance  of  it.  Perhaps  you  have  asked 
your  fellow  men ;  perhaps  you  have  gone  to  the  standard  of 
the  world,  and  their  judgment  has  agreed  with  that  of  your 
own  mind,  that  it  was  a  small  sin,  and  did  no  great  harm  to 
any  one.  Now  come  with  me  to  another  standard,  and  as- 
certain whether  it  will  give  a  similar  judgment.  Behold 
your  Saviour  on  the  cross !  The  Son  of  the  Most  High  God 
expires  in  agony  upon  the  tree.  For  what  ?  For  your  sin  ! 
And  unless  he  had  died,  that  one  sin  never  can  be  pardoned. 
Is  it,  then,  a  small  sin  ?  Is  it  a  trifle  1  Has  your  one  sin 
done  no  great  harm,  when  it  has  broken  the  law  of  the  Most 
High  God,  and  also  crucified  His  only  Son  ?  Learn  here, 
then,  at  the  cross  of  Christ,  that,  however  small,  in  your 
own  sight,  and  in  that  of  your  fellow  men,  every  sin  is  hein- 


158  IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — MERCY. 

ous  in  the  sight  of  God.  If  there  were  not  another  sinner 
in  the  whole  world  but  yourself,  and  if  you  had  only  com- 
mitted that  one  siii*,  so  offensive  is  it  to  a  holy  God,  that 
Christ  Jesus  must  have  undergone  all  this  suffering,  and  this 
bitter  death,  or  it  would  certainly  shut  you  out  from  heaven, 
for  "  therein  can  enter  nothing  that  defileth." 

The  progress  of  the  argument  from  this  point,  is  as  easy, 
as  it  is  self-evident  and  undeniable.  If  the  smallest  sin,  if  a 
single  sin,  be  thus  hateful  to  God-,  what  must  two  sins  be  1 
What  must  great  sins  be  ?  What  must  be  the  sins  of  a  day, 
of  a  week,  and  of  a  year  ?  What  must  be  the  sins  of  ten, 
twenty,  sixty,  and  seventy  years  1  If  one  sin  be  thus  im- 
measurable in  its  guilt,  as  to  require  immeasurable  suffering, 
how  immeasurable  is  the  guilt  of  a  whole  life  1  How  infi- 
nitely abhorrent  to  the  Lord,  must  be  our  oft-repeated  and 
aggravated  transgressions  1 

It  is,  then,  at  the  cross  of  Christ  that  we  learn  the  exceed- 
ing greatness  of  God's  mercy,  and  the  exceeding  sinfulness 
of  our  own  sin,  and  see  its  awful  depth.  Let  that  depth 
teach  us  the  corresponding  depth  of  God's  mercy ;  and  let 
the  vastness  of  the  Lord's  continued  mercy,  and  of  His  mul- 
tiplied loving-kindnesses,  cry  out  to  us  of  the  enormity  of 
our  continued  provocations,  and  of  our  multiplied  transgress- 
ions. Let  us  thus  travel  in  thought  between  God's  conduct 
to  us,  and  our  conduct  to  Him.  Let  the  one  send  us  back 
to  the  other,  with  an  increased,  and  an  increasing,  apprehen- 
sion of  these  two  great  truths,  God's  mercy,  and  our  own 
sinfulness,  till  we  see  both  the  one,  and  the  other,  to  be  in- 
deed immeasurable ;  and  then  shall  we  be  truly  able  to  join 


IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — MERCY.  159 

with  the  PsahTiist  and  saj,  "  For  as  high  as  the  heaven  is 
above  the  earth,  so  great  is  His  mercy  toward  them  that  fear 
Him." 

Reader !  dost  thou  "  fear"  God  1  If  so,  then  immeasura- 
ble mercy  is  above  and  around  thee.  The  Book  of  Truth 
teaches  thee  for  thy  comfort  to  say  "  The  Lord  has  not  re- 
warded me  according  to  my  iniquities :  for  according  to  the 
height  of  the  heaven  above  the  earth,  so  great  is  His  mercy 
toward  them  that  fear  Him :"  see  marginal  reading. 
'  Whatsoever  amount  of  this  "  fear"  you  now  possess,  pray 
to  the  Spirit  of  grace  to  increase  it  continually  within  your 
breast.  The  Apostle  says,  "  Let  us  have  grace,  whereby  we 
may  serve  God  acceptably  with  reverence  and  godly  fear." 
Heb.  xii.  28.  Cultivate  diligently,  therefore,  the  sentiment 
of  holy  fear.  Watch  anxiously  against  everything  that 
would  weaken  it  within  you.  For  this  purpose  keep  these 
two  truths  continually  in  remembrance,  and  say  often  to 
yourself,  Immeasurable  guilt — Immeasurable  mercy  !  Tie 
former  will  fill  your  heart  with  humility.  The  latter  will 
fill  it  with  gratitude  and  joy.  You  will  fear  to  offend  a  God 
who  has  been  so  immeasurably  merciful  to  your  soul.  And 
you  will  also  inwardly  feel  that  you  can  never  sufiiciently 
love,  never  sufficiently  serve,  never  sufficiently  praise,  so 
merciful  a  God  and  Saviour.  Again  and  again  say  over  to- 
yourself,  Immeasurable  guilt — Immeasurable  mercy  !  Let 
the  one  be  as  an  ocean  beneath  your  feet,  and  the  other  as 
the  heavens  above  you,  with  Jesus  near.  Look  not  to  the 
latter  only,  lest,  like  Peter,  you  presume.  Look  not  to  the 
f.rmcr  only,  lest,  like  Peter,  you  despair.     Look    at  both 


160  IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — MEECY. 

equally,  and  you  will  be  safely  preserved.  Christ  will  come 
into  your  tempest-tossed  bark  :  and  then  to  the  vessel  of 
your  soul  the  "  love"  of  God  will  be  as  the  sail,  and  the 
"  fear"  of  God  will  be  as  the  ballast,  and  over  the  immeas- 
urable ocean  of  this  sinful  life,  you  shall  have  Christ  for  a 
Pilot,  a  steady  and  a  prosperous  voyage  for  your  course,  and 
a  joyful  entrance  at  last  into  the  haven  of  rest,  the  heaven 
of  God's  immeasurable  mercy. 


XI. 

THE   BREADTH UNBOUNDED:    ITS   EMBLEM — EAST   FROM   WEST. 

As  far  as  the  east  is  from,  tlie  west,  so  far  hath.  He  removed  our 
transgressions  from.  us. — Verse  12. 

"  God  is  love."  Men  have  all  sinned  against  Him,  and 
yet  a  second  time  it  is  written  "  God  is  love."  1  John  iv. 
8, 1 6.  That  God  loved  His  enemies,  we  never  could  have 
supposed,  had  He  not  Himself  declared  it.  And  even  now 
that  He  has  revealed  that  blessed  truth  in  the  unerring 
Word,  we  feel  it  difficult  to  believe  that  He  really  does  re- 
gard us  in  Christ  Jesus,  with  a  love  alike  unmeasured  and 
immeasurable,  as  undeserved  as  it  will  be  by  us  for  ever 
undeservable.  So  exceeding  great  and  precious  are  the  dec- 
larations of  the  Divine  love  contained  in  the  Scriptures,  that 
we  feel  tempted  to  regard  it  as  presumptuous  to  apply  them 
to  ourselves.  Yet  the  fact  is  as  indubitable  as  our  trans- 
gression. God  so  loved  the  world  that  He  gave  His  only 
begotten  Son  to  die  for  it ;  and  a  little  reflection  will  con- 
vince us  that  God's  love  must  be  worthy  of  the  heart  in 
which  it  dwells — at  once  originating  in  Himself — love's 
boundless  Fountam — and  flowing  forth  in  streams  as  unex- 
hausted now  by  ages  that  are  past,  as  inexhaustible  l^reaf- 


162       IMMEASURABLE  BENEFITS — FORGIVENESS. 

ter  by  ages  that  are  yet  to  come.  That  the  Eternal  Father 
should  love  His  own  dear  Son,  with  an  ardent,  pure,  and  end- 
less affection,  we  might  readily  have  supposed ;  but  that 
He  should  regard  us  with  a  sentiment  at  all  approaching  to 
that  love,  we  never  could  have  imagined.  How  astonished, 
therefore,  do  we  feel  to  hear  that  dear  Son  declare,  that  the 
love  with  which  His  Father  regards  us,  is  the  very  same 
wherewith  He  himself  is  loved.  "  I  have  declared  unto 
them  Thy  name,  and  will  declare  it :  that  the  love  wherewith 
Thou  hast  loved  Me,  may  be  in  them,  and  I  in  them."  John 
xvii.  26.  Glorious  declaration !  It  unfolds  to  us  one  of 
the  highest  honors  which  we  enjoy  in  union  with  the  second 
Adam.  "  Behold  what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  be- 
stowed on  us,  that  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of  God." 
The  love  which  surrounded  us  in  creation  is  surpassed — 
most  marvellously  surpassed — by  the  love  which  embraces 
us  in  Redemption.  All  the  saints  are  called  to  "  compre- 
hend," that  is,  to  be  for  ever  going  forward  more  and  more 
to  ''  comprehend  what  is  the  breadth,  and  length,  and  depth, 
and  height ;  and  to  know  the  love  of  Christ,  which  passeth 
knowledge,  that  they  might  be  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of 
God."     Eph.  iii.  19. 

A  love  which  "  passes  knowledge,"  must  necessarily  also 
surpass  expression  ;  we  can  only  therefore  judge  of  it  by  its 
proofs,  and  by  its  effects.  The  great  proof  of  that  love  was 
given  in  delivering  up  that  only  begotten  Son,  who  was  so 
intensely  loved,  to  be  put  to  death  as  our  Surety.  And  one 
of  the  blessed  results  of  that  love  so  demonstrated,  is  the 
complete  forgiveness  through   Him  of  our  transgressions. 


IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS— FORGIVENESS.       163 

David  here  thanks  God  a  second  time  for  that  forgiveness. 
And  so  vast  and  wonderful  does  it  appear  to  him,  that  he 
feels  lost  in  the  contemplation.  In  the  third  verse  he  blessed 
the  Lord  for  the  forgiveness  of  all  his  iniquities  :  and  now 
in  this  twelfth  verse  he  praises  Him  for  the  fulness  and  the 
perfection  of  that  forgiveness.  Marvellous  truth — all  my 
INIQUITIES  COMPLETELY  PARDONED !  The  Psalmist  knows 
not  how  to  express  the  overpowering  thought.  His  labor- 
ing  mind  seizes  upon  a  most  appropriate  metaphor,  and 
makes  two  most  opposite  points  in  nature  unite  to  illustrate 
the  wondrous  theme.  Nothing  in  creation  presents  a  more 
complete  idea  of  distance  to  the  mind,  than  the  rising,  com- 
pared with  the  setting,  of  the  sun.  That  glorious  luminary 
was  seen  in  one  direction  in  the  morning  ;  it  is  seen  in  the 
very  opposite  direction  in  the  evening.  How  vast  is  the 
space  which  it  seems  to  have  traversed.  No  power  can 
bring  it  back  to  its  former  apparent  position,  or  make  the 
two  opposite  points  to  meet !  Such  is  the  illustration.  Now 
turn  to  the  East,  and  travel  in  thought  to  the  remotest 
point.  Were  God  of  His  mercy  to  take  away  your  sins 
and  place  them  there,  how  great  would  be  the  distance  be- 
tween your  sins  and  you  !  Yet  this  is  but  half  of  the  decla- 
ration of  the  Psalmist.  Turn  now  to  the  West,  and  extend 
your  thoughts  again  before  you  to  the  remotest  point ;  then 
imagine  your  soul  to  be  carried  to  that  point  in  the  arms 
of  a  sin-pardoning  God,  and  that  all  your  transgressions  are 
left  in  the  far  East,  how  vast,  how  amazing,  how  incalculable, 
would  now  be  the  distance  between  your  soul  and  them ! 
Such  is  the  declaration  of  the  Psalmist  regarding  the  free- 


164       IMMEASURABLE  BENEFITS — FORGIVENESS. 

ness,  the  fulness,  and  the  completeness,  of  God's  forgiveness. 
"  My  sins,"  as  if  he  had  said,  "  were  lying  upon  me  as  a 
weighty  burden  ; — they  pressed  upon  my  guilty  conscience 
as  utterly  unpardonable :  but  God  hath  pardoned  them.  He 
hath  taken  them  completely  away.  No  power  can  bring 
them  back  against  me,  or  make  my  sins  and  me  to  meet 
together  again  for  condemnation:  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my 
soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me  bless  His  holy  name,  for  as 
far  as  the  east  is  from  the  west,  so  far  hath  He  removed  my 
transgressions  from  me." 

Forgiveness,  on  the  part  of  God,  is  neither  partial  nor 
temporary,  like  that  of  man.  God  pardons  with  a  full 
heart.  Man  is  ever  ready  to  cast  up  afresh  the  old  trans- 
gression. He  forgives,  but  he  does  not  forget.  There  is  a 
painedness  in  his  mind,  and  a  peculiarity  in  his  look  and 
manner,  even  while  he  declares  that  he  forgives,  which  im- 
press us  with  a  conviction  that  he  does  not  admit  us  to  the 
same  place  in  his  regard  which  we  enjoyed  before.  The  act 
of  forgiveness  necessarily  places  him  in  a  superior,  and  our- 
selves in  an  inferior  position,  in  reference  to  each  other ; 
and  the  consciousness  of  this  inferiority  produces  a  pained- 
ness also  in  our  minds,  and  a  peculiarity  in  our  look  and 
manner,  which,  even  while  we  acknowledge  our  offence,  re- 
pels him  from  advancing  further  to  thorough  reconciliation. 
So  imperfect  are  all  the  best  virtues  in  men,  and  so  prone 
are  we  to  misunderstand,  and  to  misinterpret,  the  good  we 
witness  in  each  other.  There  is  also,  sometimes,  an  extra- 
ordinary movement  in  the  human  breast,  of  dislike  arising 
toward  those  whom  we  have  offended.     Why  1     Because  we 


IMMEASURABLE  BENEFITS — FORGIVENESS.       165 

fancy  that  they  must  dislike  us  !  This  feeling,  wherever  it 
obtains,  must  tend  to  still  further  estrangement.  And  thus, 
while  forgiveness  may  have  been  pronounced  and  accepted, 
with  smcerity  on  both  sides,  there  is  still  a  little  poison  left 
in  the  wound,  so  that  it  cannot  become  perfectly  healed. 

Forgiveness  and  entire  reconciliation  do  not,  therefore, 
always  accompany  each  other  between  man  and  man.  They 
invariably,  however,  accompany  each  other  between  God 
and  man.  They  both  originate  in,  and  are  consummated 
by,  the  rich  and  sovereign  grace  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Pardon  is  vested  in  the  hands  of  the  God-Man,  to  be  dis- 
pensed as  He  pleases.  Matt.  ix.  6.  And  a  question  here 
rises,  On  whom  does  Christ  bestow  this  blessing?  "We 
reply,  On  those  who  draw  near  to  Him  as  their  only  Surety 
and  Sacrifice.  Christ  says,  "  Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will 
in  no  wise  cast  out."  John  vi.  37.  The  poor  sinner  receives 
a  full  and  free  remission,  whenever,  under  the  drawings  of 
the  Divine  Spirit,  he  comes  to  Jesus  confessing  his  trans- 
gressions. Every  sin,  also,  that  he  subsequently  commits, 
he  must  confess,  in  like  manner,  over  that  sacrifice,  and 
Christ  will  pardon  it.  Tliis  was  typified  under  the  Law. 
There  was  no  pardon  without  confession — and  no  confession 
but  over  the  blood  of  a  sacrificial  victim  :  and  every  time 
that  an  Israelite,  who  had  sinned,  brought  his  trespass-offer- 
ing, and  confessed  over  it  his  iniquity,  he  was  to  return  from 
the  altar  with  peace  of  conscience,  and  with  thankfulness  of 
heart,  believing  that  he  was  a  pardoned  man.  In  like  man- 
ner, the  Christian  is  to  come  to  Christ  every  time  that  he 
has  sinned,  and  is  to  confess  his  transgression  over  Him,  as 


166       IMMEASUEABLK   BENEFITS — FORGIVENESS. 

his  only  trespass-offering ;  and  he  is  to  return  from  the 
throne  of  grace  with  peace  of  conscience,  and  with  thankful- 
ness of  heart,  believing  that  he  is  a  pardoned  man.  None 
but  those  who  believe  in  Jesus,  and  who  turn  from  all  their 
sins  to  His  sacrifice,  have  any  part  or  lot  in  this  forgiveness. 
All  others  live  in  their  sins,  and  die  in  their  sins.  Awful 
condition !  involving  this  more  awful  conclusion,  that  they 
shall  rise  again  in  their  sins,  and  stand  before  His  judgment 
seat  in  their  iniquities. 

All  those,  however,  who  turn  from  sin  to  Jesus,  are  war- 
ranted, nay,  commanded,  to  believe  that  they  receive  in 
Him,  and  from  Him,  an  immediate,  cordial,  and  complete 
forgiveness  :  as  says  the  Apostle,  "  By  Him  all  that  believe 
are  justified  from  all  things,  from  w^hich  ye  could  not  be 
justified  by  the  law  of  Moses."  Acts  xiii.  39.  The  language 
of  Scripture  is  most  explicit  on  this  point.  Its  declarations 
are  as  comprehensive  and  varied,  as  they  are  truly  consola- 
tory and  delightful.  Simile  after  simile  is  employed  to 
denote  the  fulness  of  the  Divine  forgiveness.  Statements, 
arguments,  assurances,  promises,  are  multiplied  to  put  our 
doubts  to  shame,  and  to  banish  all  weakness  and  wavering 
from  our  faith. 

When,  for  instance,  the  Lord  Jehovah  revealed  His  name 
and  character  to  Moses,  He  proclaimed  Himself  to  be  "  The 
Lord,  the  Lord  God,  merciful  and  gracious,  long-suffering, 
and  abundant  in  goodness  and  truth,  forgiving  iniquity,  and 
transgression,  and  sin."  Exod.  xxxvi.  6,  7.  Three  terms  are 
here  employed,  as  it  were  to  show  that  every  possible  form 
of  guilt  comes  within  the  compass  of  the  Lord's  forgive- 


IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — FORGIVENESS.       167 

ness  : — and,  that  there  is  also  no  degree  of  it  beyond  the 
reach  of  pardon,  He  thus  graciously  assures  us,  "  Come  no^ 
and  let  us  reason  together,  saith  the  Lord ;  though  your  sins 
be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow ;  though  they 
be  red  like  crimson,  they  shall  be  as  w^ool."  Isa.  i.  18.  And 
yet,  again,  to  prove  that  even  multiplied  offences  shall  not 
cut  off  the  true  penitent  from  the  enjoyment  of  this  bless- 
ing, the  Lord  thus  instructs  His  Prophet  to  declare  :  "  Let 
the  wicked  forsake  his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his 
thoughts  :  and  let  him  return  unto  the  Lord,  and  He  will 
have  mergy  upon  him  ;  and  to  our  God,  for  he  will  abun- 
dantly pardon"  (margin,  multiply  to  pardon).  "  For  My 
thoughts  are  not  your  thoughts,  neither  are  your  w\ays  My 
ways,  saith  the  Lord."  Isa.  Iv.  7,  8. 

Thus  we  learn  the  truth  of  our  blessed  Saviour's  declara- 
tion, that  "  all  manner  of  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  for- 
given unto  men."  Even  a  word  spoken  against  Himself 
shall  be  forgiven.  The  one  only  sin  which  He  declares  to 
be  unpardonable,  is  the  speaking  evil  of,  or  against,  the  Holy 
Ghost.     Matt.  xii.  31,  32. 

What  words,  therefore,  shall  express  the  unlimited  efficacy 
of  the  blood  of  Jesus,  that  blood  which  was  expressly  shed 
"  for  the  remission  of  sins"  %  Matt.  xxvi.  28.  "  Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world." 
John  i.  29.  "  It  behoved  Christ  to  suffer,  and  to  rise  from 
the  dead  the  third  day :  and  that  repentance  and  remission 
of  sins  should  be  preached  in  His  name  among  all  nations, 
beginning  at  Jerusalem."  Luke  xxiv.  46,  47.  Therefore 
the  Apostles  went  everywhere  preaching  the  glad  tidings, 


168       IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS— FORGIVENESS. 

and  saying,  "  Be  it  known  unto  you  therefore,  men  and  breth- 
ren, that  through  this  Man  is  preached  unto  you  the  forgive- 
ness of  sins."  Acts  xiii.  38.  "  For  Him  hath  God  ex- 
alted with  His  right  hand,  to  be  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  for 
to  give  repentance  to  Israel,  and  forgiveness  of  sins."  Acts 
y.  31.  "  To  Him  give  all  the  prophets  witness,  that  through 
His  name,  whosoever  believeth  in  Him,  shall  receive  re- 
mission of  sins."  Acts  x.  43.  "  Repent  ye  therefore,  and 
be  converted,  that  your  sins  may  be  blotted  out,  when  the 
times  of  refreshing  shall  come  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord."     Acts  iii.  19. 

This  full  proclamation  of  forgiveness  in  the  name  of  Jesus, 
is  based  on  the  ground  of  the  New  Covenant,  ratified  in  His 
blood.  That  covenant  is  as  large,  as  gracious,  and  as  free,  as 
heart  can  desire.  If  we  had  framed  its  terms  ourselves,  we 
could  not  have  made  them  more  favorable  to  our  own  case 
than  God  Himself  has  written  them;  for  the  Eternal  Jeho 
vah  most  graciously  promises  therein,  not  only  to  forgive, 
but  also  to  forget,  the  transgressions  of  His  people!  "I 
will  make  a  new  covenant  with  the  house  of  Israel,  and  with 
the  house  of  Judah.  I  will  put  my  laws  into  their  hearts, 
and  in  their  minds  will  I  write  them  :  for  I  will  forgive  their 
iniquity  and  remember  their  sin  no  more."  Jer.  xxxi.  31 — 
34,  compared  with  Heb.  x.  17,  18.  What  more,  then,  can 
be  wanted  after  this  1  And  yet,  alas  !  we  are  slow  to  be- 
lieve, and  quick  to  doubt,  the  forgiveness  of  our  God !  And 
because  we  cannot  find  any  goodness  or  worthiness  in  our- 
selves, on  which  to  ground  our  plea  for  pardon,  we  are  soon 
apt  to  give  way  to  despondency  and  apprehension.     Even 


IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — FORGIVENESS.        169 

this  state  of  mind  the  Lord  condescends  to  meet,  by  gra- 
ciously revealing  to  us  another  argument  of  forgiveness,  and 
saying,  "  I,  even  I,  am  He  that  blotted  out  thy  transgressions 
FOR  MINE  OWN  SAKE,  and  wiU  not  remember  thy  sins."  Isa. 
xliii.  25.  And  again,  in  order  to  dispel  every  lingering  sus- 
picion of  the  reality  and  the  fulness  of  His  mercy,  He  de- 
clares in  the  very  next  chapter,  "  I  have  blotted  out  as  a 
thick  cloud  thy  transgressions,  and  as  a  cloud  thy  sins  ;  re- 
turn unto  Me,  for  I  have  redeemed  thee."  Isa.  xliv.  22.  No 
wonder  that  Isaiah  immediately  exclaims,  "  Sing,  O  ye 
heavens,  for  the  Lord  hath  done  it.  Shout,  ye  lower  parts 
of  the  earth :  break  forth  into  singing,  ye  mountains,  O  for- 
est and  every  tree  therein ;  for  the  Lord  hath  redeemed  Ja- 
cob, and  glorified  Himself  in  Israel."  Oh,  most  gracious 
Lord,  "  There  is  forgiveness  with  Thee,  that  Thou  may  est 
be  feared,  and  with  Thee  is  mercy  and  plenteous  redemp- 
tion." Psa.  cxxx.  4 — 7.  "  Who  is  a  God  like  unto  Thee, 
that  pardoneth  miquity,  and  passeth  by  the  transgression  of 
the  remnant  of  His  heritage  1  He  retaineth  not  His  anger 
for  ever,  because  He  delighteth  in  mercy.  He  will  turn 
again.  He  will  have  compassion  upon  us ;  He  will  subdue 
our  iniquities;  and  Thou  wilt  cast  all  their  sins  into  the 
depths  of  the  sea."     Micah  vii.  18,  19. 

How  immeasurable,  therefore,  do  we  learn,  is  the  nature 
of  that  benefit,  which  the  Psalmist  has  here  celebrated. 
Every  form  of  sin  (with  but  one  exception),  every  degree  of 
sin,  even  oft-recurring  sins,  we  are  here  instructed  may  ob- 
tain forgiveness.  The  readiness,  the  freeness,  and.  the  com- 
pleteness, of  that  forgiveness,  are  put  beyond  all  possibility 

8 


170       IMMEASURABLE  BENEFITS — FORGIVENESS. 

of  contradiction,  for  our  loving  Redeemer  promises  to  "  for- 
give," and  to  "  forget"  our  iniquities — and  to  "blot  out"  the 
records  of  them  from  His  book,  "  for  His  own  sake."  Yea, 
though  they  were  like  a  "  thick  cloud"  between  us  and  the 
sun,  He  promises  to  erase  them  from  the  face  of  the  heaven, 
and  cause  us  to  bask  in  the  sunshine  of  the  Divine  favor  ; — 
and  though  they  pressed  upon  us  as  an  armed  host  in  close 
pursuit  for  our  destruction,  yet  would  the  Lord  cast  them 
into  the  very  "  depths  of  the  sea  :"  and,  though  they  came 
as  an  array  of  accusing  witnesses,  eager  to  give  in  their  tes- 
timony to  our  discredit,  yet  would  the  Lord  "remove" 
them  from  us,  "  as  far  as  the  east  is  from  the  west,"  and  leave 
not  a  single  transgression  to  appear  against  us  within  the 
whole  visible  horizon  ! 

For  this  marvellous  and  immeasurable  forgiveness,  we  are 
for  ever  indebted  to  the  gracious  Mediator.  God  gave  that 
Mediator  to  us  in  His  love  ;  and  have  we  with  love  accepted 
Him  ?  The  conseht  of  all  the  parties,  concerned  in  any 
transaction,  is  necessary  to  give  it  effect  each  in  his  own  be- 
half. Reader,  you  are  one  of  the  parties  concerned  in  this 
transaction,  for  you  committed  the  sin.  Your  consent  is 
therefore  necessary  to  give  it  effect  for  your  salvation  :  for 
no  man  is  to  be  saved  against  his  own  will.  All  God's  peo- 
ple are  made  "  willing"  to  consent  to  this  mode  of  salvation 
in  the  day  of  the  Spirit's  power.  Psa.  ex.  3.  The  transac- 
tion between  God  the  Father,  and  His  Son,  the  appointed 
Mediator,  you  can  never  annul.  "  If  you  believe  not,  yet 
He  abideth  faithful."  That  work  of  the  Mediator  is  to 
stand,  and  to  be  admired  through  all  eternity,  whether  you 


IMMEASURABLE  BENEFITS — FORGIVENESS.       171 

approve  of  it  or  not.  To  you  as  a  natural  man,  the  great 
truth  of  which  we  here  speak,  will,  alas,  appear  only  as  fool- 
ishness ;  for  in  your  own  wisdom  you  will  neither  under- 
stand nor  believe  it.  Therefore  you  will  never  be  willing  of 
yourself,  to  append  to  it  the  seal  of  your  approbation  and 
adherence.  But,  oh,  let  me  beseech  you,  for  your  own  sake, 
to  cry  earnestly  to  the  Lord  God  to  "  work  in  you  to  will 
and  to  do"  by  his  good  Spirit.  Cry  to  that  Spirit  to  en- 
lighten your  mind  to  know  "  the  things  that  are  freely  given 
you  of  God."  1  Cor.  ii.  12.  Intreat  of  Him  to  produce  in 
you  true  repentance  and  a  lively  faith,  that  you  may  be  en- 
abled to  confess  your  sins  over  the  blood  of  this  Mediator, 
and  to  believe  that  God  is  faithful  and  just  toward  Him  to 
forgive  your  sins  for  His  sake,  and  to  cleanse  you  from  all 
unrighteousness.     1  John  i.  9. 

Better  were  it  for  you  never  to  have  heard  of  Christ,  than 
to  hear  and  not  to  accept  of  Him.  Better  far  will  it  be  for 
the  poor  heathen  in  the  day  of  judgment  than  for  you. 
They  have  never  heard  of  that  Saviour  whom  you  reject. 
But  if  you  reply,  that  you  do  not  reject  Him,  and  that  all 
that  can  be  charged  against  you  is,  that  you  do  not  give  as 
much  time  or  attention  to  his  religion  as  perhaps  you  might, 
then  the  Bible  asks,  "  How  shall  we  escape  if  we  neglect  so 
gi-eat  salvation  f  Heb.  ii.  3.  The  neglecting  of  the  sal- 
vation, is  the  rejecting  of  the  Saviour.  There  is  no  neutral 
ground.  You  must  adopt  one  or  other  of  the  two  alterna- 
tives. If  the  work  of  Christ  were  yet  to  be  undertaken,  and 
if  God  consulted  you  whether  this  Mediator  should  be  ap- 
pointed or  not ;  there  would  be  room  for  you  to  consider 


172       IMMEASUKABLE   BEXEFITS — FORGIVENESS. 

the  proposal,  and  either  to  accept,  or  to  decline  it,  and  pro- 
pose another.  But  now  that  the  work  has  been  already  ac- 
complished, no  room  remains  but  only  to  accept  or  to  reject 
the  Saviour. 

Oh,  consider  your  position !  Realize  the  solemn,  but  bless- 
ed, circumstances,  in  which  the  death  of  Christ  has  placed 
you.  God,  the  Great  Creditor,  has  accepted  the  Surety's 
payment  of  your  debts ;  and  He  has  therefore  given  you 
into  the  hands  of  the  God-Man,  who  has  bought  you  with 
His  blood.  This  gracious  Surety  is  waiting,  and  calling, 
upon  you  to  acknowledge  and  to  embrace  Him  as  your  Re- 
deemer. Jesus  is  stretching  out  His  hand  of  mercy  toward 
you.  He  weeps  over  you,  and  says,  "  Oh  that  thou  wouldst 
know,  even  thou  at  least  in  this  thy  day,  the  things  that  be- 
long unto  thy  peace,  before  they  be  for  ever -hid  from  thine 
eyes."  "  To-day,"  then,  "  while  it  is  called  to-day,  harden 
not  your  heart."  God  has  appointed  Christ,  and  do  you  re- 
fuse Him  1  God  has  accepted  Christ,  and  will  you  reject 
Him  ?  God  laid  your  iniquities  upon  His  head,  and  will 
you  not  be  thankful  for  such  an  act  of  unparalleled  mercy  ? 
Ungrateful  man !  the  very  least  sin  would  sink  you  to  per- 
dition. O,  that  you  were  wise.  Take  warning  ere  it  be  too 
late.  "  Behold,  now  is  the  accepted  time ;  behold,  now  is 
the  day  of  salvation."  An  Almighty  Saviour  with  His 
great  salvation  is  standing  at  your  door.  Every  blessing  it 
contains,  He  bids  you  take,  without  money  and  without 
price.  Listen  to  His  gracious  word  :  "  Behold,  I  stand  at 
the  door,  and  knock  :  if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open 
the  door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and 


IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS— FORGIVENESS.       173 

he  with  Me."  Rev.  iii.  20.  But  have  you  barred  the  door 
of  your  heart  against  Him  1  Undo  these  bars,  I  entreat  you. 
Put  aside  every  doubt,  cast  off  the  chain  of  unbelief.  Open 
wide  the  door  of  your  heart  to  Christ.  "  As  though  God 
did  beseech  you  by  us,  we  pray  you  in  Christ's  stead,  Be  ye 
reconciled  to  God."     2  Cor.  v.  20. 

The  blessedness  of  pardon,  and  of  reconciliation,  who 
can  describe  1  To  be  made  friends  again  with  the  King  of 
Heaven  ;  to  have  our  sins  pardoned— our  persons  accepted 
—and  our  love  returned  ;  to  be  freed  from  every  fear,  lib- 
erated from  every  debt,  and  gladdened  in  every  feeling ;  to 
have  no  more  differences,  no  more  estrangement,  and  no 
further  separation  from  the  Father  of  our  spirits  :  this  is  in- 
deed joy  unspeakable. 

The  blessedness  of  pardon,  and  of  reconciliation,  who  can 
describe  1     The  prodigal  returns  home  to  his  Father's  house, 
and  his  sins  are  not  once  mentioned  unto  him,  Ezek.  xviii. 
22,— his  Father  casts  them  all  behind  His  back,  Isa.  xxxviii. 
17,— his  debts  are  blotted  out  of  His  book,  Isa.  xliii.  25,— 
they  are  remembered  no  more,  Heb.  x.  18.     Happy  prodi- 
gal, but  prodigal  no  longer !     Thy  Elder  Brother  neither 
frowns  at  thee  for  thy  return,  nor  chides  at  others  for  thy 
reception.     All  that  the  Father  hath  is  His,  and  all  that  He 
has  He  gives  to  thee.     The  "  sandals"  put  upon  thy  feet, 
are  His  "  preparation  of  the  Gospel  of  peace."  Eph.  vi.  15. 
The  "  ring"  placed  on  thy  finger,  He  has  obtained  for  thee 
as  a  token  and  pledge  of  higher  honors.     And  the  "  best 
robe"  now  brought  forth  to  array  thee,  is  the  best  in  heaven 
—it  is  the  robe  of  righteousness  which  Jesus  has  wrought 


174       IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — FORGIVENESS. 

out.  Happy  prodigal,  but  prodigal  no  longer  !  Does  this 
unexpected  joy  and  gladness  at  thy  return,  fill  thee  with  re- 
morse at  thy  long  estrangement  ?  Dost  thou  not  look  upon 
a  reconciled  Father,  and  upon  an  Elder  Brother  whom  thou 
hast  pierced,  and  art  thou  in  such  bitterness  at  times  that 
thou  canst  not  forgive  thyself,  or  believe  that  They  can  for- 
give thee  1  And  do  thy  past  sins  not  unfrequently  rise  up, 
like  a  thick  cloud,  to  darken  the  sunshine  of  thy  soul  1  Hear 
that  Father  and  that  Brother  saying  with  one  voice,  "  I  have 
blotted  out  as  a  thick  cloud  thy  transgressions,  and  as  a 
cloud  thy  sins."  Isa.  xliv.  22. 

In  the  progress  of  thy  course  through  life,  do  infirmities 
encompass  thee,  and  besetting  sins  sometimes  obtain  the  ad- 
vantage ?  Do  their  present  pressure,  and  their  past  remem- 
brance, weaken  thy  faith,  straiten  thy  prayers,  and  mar  thy 
intercourse  with  God  ?  Take  courage :  hold  on  thy  way, 
contending  against  all  sin.  Plead  with  Him  His  own  prom- 
ise. Cry  to  Him  in  the  all-prevailing  name  of  Jesus,  and 
He  will  cast  all  thy  transgressions,  not  into  the  waves  to  be 
again  thrown  up,  but  into  the  very  "  depths"  of  the  sea, 
never  more  to  appear  against  thee. 

Or  art  thou  drawing  near  to  the  close  of  thy  earthly  day  ? 
Is  thy  sun  sinking  in  the  far  west  of  life  ?  Say,  hadst  thou 
a  stormy  morning,  and  a  chequered  day  of  clouds  and  sun- 
shine ?  And  didst  thou  often  fear  that  gloom  and  darkness 
would  envelope  thy  departure  ?  Behold,  at  evening  time  it 
shall  be  light  (Zech.  xiv.  7),  if  thou  dost  hold  fast  the  begin- 
ning of  thy  confidence  steadfast  unto  the  end.  Heb.  iii.  14. 
"  The  sun  shall  be  no  more  thy  light  by  day  ;  neither  for 


IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — FORGIVENESS.       175 

brightness  shall  the  moon  give  light  unto  thee  :  but  the  Lord 
shall  be  unto  thee  an  everlasting  light,  and  thy  God  thy 
glory.  Thy  sun  shall  no  more  go  down  ;  neither  shall  thy 
moon  withdraw  itself:  for  the  Lord  shall  be  thine  everlast- 
ing light,  and  the  days  of  thy  mourning  shall  be  ended." 
Isa.  Ix.  19,  20.  Made  one  with  Christ,  the  Sun  of  Righteous- 
ness, thy  setting  shall  be  bright  and  radiant  with  His  glory. 
Fear  not ;  Jesus  is  with  thee ;  and,  behold,  at  His  word, 
how  serene  are  the  heavens  around  thee.  The  winds  are 
hushed.  The  sea  is  calm.  The  sky  is  clear.  Its  vault  is 
glowing  with  His  golden  beams.  "Where  now  are  the  storms 
that  alarmed  thee  in  the  morning  ?  Where  now  are  the  clouds 
that  darkened  thine  onward  path  ?  They  are  scattered  and 
gone ;  if  sought  for,  they  cannot  be  found.  Jer.  1.  20. 
Calm,  then,  on  the  bosom  of  thy  God,  sink  thou  to  rest :  and 
as  thou  goest  down,  even  thy  lips  shall  be  heard,  by  grace, 
to  say.  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  for  "  as  far  as  the  east  is 
from  the  west,  so  far  hath  He  removed  my  transgressions 
from  me." 


XII. 

ImratssMrsIrh   §tiufits — fits. 

ITS   DEPTH — UNFATHOMABLE  :    ITS   EMBLEM — A  FATHER'S. 

Like  aa  a  fattier  pitieth  his  children,  so  the  Lord  pitieth  them 
that  fear  Him.  For  He  kno-weth  our  framej  He  reraemhereth 
that -we  are  dust. — "Verses  13,  14. 

These  verses  present  to  us  the  third  metaphor,  by  which 
the  Psalmist  attempts  to  measure,  and  to  magnify,  the  good- 
ness of  his  Lord.  He  had  just  before  extolled  the  greatness 
of  His  mercy,  and  expatiated  on  the  completeness  of  His 
forgiveness.  The  height  of  the  heaven  above  the  earth,  and 
the  distance  of  the  east  from  the  west,  were  made  to  lend 
their  aid  in  illustration  of  these  truths.  Yet,  striking  as 
these  comparisons  are,  they  do  not  satisfy  the  mind  of  the 
Psalmist — they  do  not  adequately  unfold  the  character  and 
the  excellency  of  His  Lord.  David,  therefore,  employs 
another  illustration,  as  touching  as  it  is  appropriate ;  and 
follows  it  up  by  an  explanatory  argument,  as  simple  as  it 
is  conclusive.  He  selects  the  most  revered  name  which 
the  human  vocabulary  can  furnish :  he  instances  a  relation- 
sliip  in  which  love  and  authority,  wisdom  and  grace,  tender- 
ness and  compassion,  are  exliibited  in  rich  and  harmonious 
combination ;  and  by  a  single  word  he  presents  to  us  a 


IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY.  177 

picture,  which  every  human  being  can  recognize,  appreciate, 
and  admire. 

Who  that  has  experienced  the  love,  and  the  pity,  of  a 
parent,  or  that  has  felt  the  yearnhigs  of  a  father  towards  his 
child  within  his  own  breast,  can  read  these  words  without 
understanding  or  emotion  ?  We  comprehend  their  meaning 
at  a  glance.  We  feel  their  power  as  we  listen  to  their 
sound.  The  pity  of  a  parent  is  the  purest,  the  tenderest, 
the  highest,  which  this  world  can  furnish  ;  and  such,  we  un- 
derstand, is  the  pity  of  the  Lord.  The  paternal  character 
and  relationship  on  earth,  are  the  types  of  a  paternal  character 
and  relationship  in  heaven.  A  father's  tender  feeling  towards 
his  children,  presents  the  best  possible  illustration  of  the 
feelmgs  of  the  Great  God  in  Vhnst  Jesus  towards  them  that 
fear  him. 

David  felt  in  himself  that  he  was  altogether  unworthy  of 
the  mercies  which  he  had  acknowledged  in  the  previous 
verses — unworthy  even  of  the  very  least  of  them.  Like 
believers  in  all  ages,  doubtless  the  Psalmist  was  often 
tempted  to  question  whether  he  was  indeed  a  child  of  God. 
But  now,  the  more  minutely  that  he  gave  his  attention  to 
these  mercies,  the  more  that  his  mind  became  impressed, 
and  his  gratitude  awakened,  by  the  contemplation  of  them, 
the  more  do  their  marvellous  origin  open  to  his  view.  His 
mind  had  been  occupied  with  the  enumeration  of  the  benefits 
which  he  had  received,  and  now  it  becomes  joyfully  aV 
sorbed  by  the  discovery  of  this  living  truth — this  gracious 
secret — which  they  disclose, — that  in  the  very  heart  of  God 
there  exists  a  paternal  pity  towards  him  !     This   enables 


178  IMMEASUKABLE   BENEFITS — PITY. 

him  at  once  to  perceive  that  there  is  only  one  way  in  which 
these  bestowments  can  be  correctly  accounted  for  on  the 
part  of  God — one  only  way  in  which  they  can  either  be 
rightly  accepted,  duly  acknowledged,  or  properly  employed 
on  the  part  of  man.  He  had  ascended  from  mercy  to 
mercy,  and  now  he  has  reached  the  climax  of  his  blessedness 
in  the  heart  of  God  as  his  Father,  and,  therefore,  he  pours 
forth  his  highest  notes  of  praise  upon  this  highest  string  of 
all  earthly  relationships,  and  says,  "  Like  as  a  father  pitieth 
his  children,  so  the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear  Him.  For 
He  knoweth  our  frame.  He  remembereth  that  we  are  dust." 
The  right  contemplation  of  our  blessings,  leads  us  directly 
into  the  heart  of  their  Bestower.  "  Every  good  gift  and 
every  perfect  gift  is  from  above,  and  cometh  down  from  the 
Father  of  lights,  with  whom  is  no  variableness  neither  shadow 
of  turning."  James  i.  17.  The  Psalmist  rises  above  and 
beyond  the  mercy  displayed  in  works  of  beneficence,  and 
the  forgiveness  exhibited  in  acts  of  pardon.  These  are  out- 
ward— these  are  expressions — these  are  results — these  are 
streams.  David  now  passes  from  the  outward  to  the  in- 
ward,— from  the  expression  to  the  feeling, — from  the  results 
to  the  cause, — from  the  stream  to  the  fountain.  He  searches 
into  the  inner  workings  and  recesses  of  the  Divine  benevo- 
lence, and  rejoices  to  behold  immeasurable  compassions 
treasured  there, — the  heart  of  God  abounding  with  paternal 
pity.  Oh,  rich  and  inexhaustible  mine  in  the  Divine  bosom  ! 
Blind  and  ignorant  creature  that  I  am,  I  valued  it  not  at  all. 
I  sought  my  pleasures  and  my  profits,  on  the  mere  surface  of 
things.    I  knew  not  this  hidden  wealth  ;  but  He  that  knew  it 


IMMEASUKABLE   BENEFITS — PITY.  179 

from  all  eternity,  the  only  begotten  Son,  hath  come  forth 
out  of  that  bosom,  to  declare  its  treasures  to  my  soul,  to 
lead  me  into  that  mine,  and  to  make  it  all  my  own  ! 

Glorious  is  the  discovery  which  a  poor  sinner  thus  makes, 
under  the  guidance  of  the  good  Spirit.  Trials,  difficulties, 
and  disappointments,  may  have  attended  all  his  previous 
searchings.  Now,  by  that  unerring  Spirit,  he  is  led  away 
from  things  seen  and  outward,  and  he  is  taken  down,  as  it 
were,  underground,  by  a  deep  and  dark  descent.  He  is  led 
along  through  the  various  workings  of  sin  and  self,  where 
the  cross-shafts  of  Satan,  and  the  w^orld,  and  the  flesh,  meet 
him  at  every  turn.  Tremblings,  it  may  be,  seize  his  limbs, 
cold  damps  stand  upon  his  forehead,  and  temptations  to  go 
back,  and  hesitations  to  go  forward,  rise  thick  and  fast  upon 
his  heart.  Aided,  however,  by  divine  grace,  he  grasps  more 
firmly  the  safety  lamp  of  the  Word,  as  it  brightly  burns 
with  the  oil  of  the  Spirit.  Re-established  in  confidence,  he 
presses  courageously  forward,  and  reaches  the  spot  where 
the  rich  vein  shows  itself.  Entranced,  he  gazes  with  admi- 
ration upon  its  sparkling  brightness,  and  scans  in  vain  its 
breadth  and  length,  its  depth  and  height ;  these,  he  is  in-  ti 
formed,  are  all  immeasurable :  and  astonished  is  his  soul, 
with  a  great  astonishment,  when  he  is  next  informed,  "  All 
this  is  yours  in  Christ." 

What  a  discovery  for  thee,  poor  sinner,  that  thou  hast  a 
treasure  in  the  heart  of  God  !  Where  now  are  thy  regrets, 
after  the  surface-world  thou  hast  left  1  Where  are  the  fears 
that  oppressed  thee  in  the  dark  and  terrible  passages  of  thy 
descent  ?     Where  are  thy  temptations  to  return  ?     Are  they 


180  IMMEASURABLE  BENEFITS — PITY. 

not  all  fled  at  this  joyful  discovery  ?  Welcome,  wilt  thou 
now  say,  welcome  is  the  darkness  of  the  pit,  welcome  are 
the  damps  of  self-abhorrence,  and  welcome  are  the  difficult 
and  narrow  passages  of  the  world,  since  I  have  found  this 
treasure  at  the  end  of  them.  Oh,  it  is  good  for  me  that  I 
have  been  afflicted.  The  bitterest  weanings  from  things 
seen  and  superficial,  have  been  to  me  most  blessed.  Gladly 
do  I  give  up  whatsoever  the  world  holds  dear.  For  very 
joy,  I  will  now  sell  all  that  I  have,  and  buy  this  priceless 
field.  Hither  will  I  repair  by  night,  by  day,  that  I  may 
count  my  spiritual  wealth.  Descending  to  my  hidden 
treasure,  standing  within  this  spiritual  mine,  above  and  be- 
neath me,  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left,  are  the  rich 
ores  of  grace.  I  am  surrounded  still  with  God.  His  heart 
abounds  with  thoughts,  desires,  and  purposes  of  love  and 
pity  towards  me.  Oh,  it  is  good  for  me  to  be  here — to  be 
hid  in  God  through  Jesus  Christ.  "  How  precious  are  Thy 
thoughts  unto  me,  O  God,  how  great  is  the  sum  of  them  ! 
If  I  should  count  them,  they  are  more  in  number  than  the 
sand.  When  I  awake,  I  am  still  with  Thee."  Psa.  cxxxix. 
17,  18. 

Of  all  the  names  by  which  Jehovah  has  revealed  His  char- 
acter, there  is  none  more  endearing  than  the  title  of  Father. 
Man  by  nature  knows  not  God  in  this  near  relationship. 
One  great  object  of  the  Saviour's  mission  into  our  world 
was  to  manifest  the  Father.  "  I  have  declared  unto  them 
Thy  name,  and  will  declare  it,  that  the  love  wherewith  Thou 
hast  loved  Me,  may  be  in  them  and  I  in  them."  John  xvii. 
26.     Teaching   his  disciples   how  to   address    their    Great 


IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY.  181 

Creator,  the  blessed  Redeemer  said,  "  When  ye  pray,  say 
Our  Father." 

The  God  we  have  offended,  presents  Himself  before  us 
in  the  relation  of  a  Father,  and  invites  us  to  occupy  toward 
Him  the  position  of  children.  This  is  the  relation  from 
which  sin  had  cast  us  out,  and  to  which  Christ  has  come  to 
restore  us.  He  condescended  to  occupy  the  place  of  an 
earthly  child,  that  we  might  obtain  the  privilege  of  heavenly 
adoption.  That  adoption  not  more  surely  implies  mutual 
obligations,  than  by  grace  it  certainly  ensures  their  mutual 
performance.  "  But  I  said,  how  shall  I  put  thee  among  the 
children,  and  give  thee  a  pleasant  land,  a  goodly  heritage  of 
the  hosts  of  nations  ?  and  I  said,  thou  shall  call  me.  My 
Father  ;  and  shalt  not  turn  away  from  Me.''  Jer.  iii.  19. 

The  title  of  Father,  applied  to  God,  implies  that  He  is 
able  and  willing  to  bestow  all  the  kindness  and  the  benefits 
which  a  child  may  require.  To  call  ourselves  His  adopted 
children,  implies  that  ^Ye  are  bound  and  desirous  to  render 
to  Him  all  the  obedience  and  affection  which  a  parent  can 
demand. 

Really  to  know  God  as  a  Father  in  Chi'ist  Jesus,  will 
both  effectually  convince  our  heart  of  His  paternal  "  pity," 
and  inspire  it  vnth.  filial  "  fear."  Without  this  knowledge  we 
can  neither  appreciate  the  former  sentiment  on  His  part,  nor 
exhibit  the  latter  on  our  own.  Indeed,  we  never  scripturally 
and  spiritually  know  the  great  God,  till  we  have  learned  to 
regard  Him  in  Christ  Jesus  as  our  Father.  We  may  know 
a  great  deal  about  the  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth  :  we  may 
believe  that  He  is,  and  that  He  possesses  wisdom  and  power 


182  IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY. 

unrivalled,  and  holiness  and  goodness  unsurpassed.  We 
may  be  able  to  describe  the  whole  circle  of  His  glorious 
attributes  ;  but  a  collection  of  attributes,  however  glorious, 
is  not  God.  The  Jews,  His  covenanted  people,  their  scribes, 
their  priests,  and  learned  doctors  of  the  law,  knew  a  great 
deal  about  the  Almighty ;  they  conceived  that  they  had 
learned  all  that  was  necessary  to  be  known  of  Him ;  and 
they  could  even  in  words  declare  that  He  was  their  Father. 
But  Jesus,  His  true  Son,  told  them  that  they  knew  Him 
not.     John  viii.  21,  54,  55. 

Till  the  heart  of  man,  as  a  child,  is  brought  to  know  and 
to  love  God  as  a  Father  in  Christ  Jesus,  all  other  knowledge 
of  Him  is  ineffectual  to  salvation.  It  is  the  felt  and  sancti- 
fying apprehension  of  this  nearest  and  most  important  of  all 
relationships  which  unites  us  to  our  Great  Creator  in  the 
closest  bond,  and  produces  within  us  the  purest  love,  the 
deepest  reverence.  Suppose  a  child  to  have  been  early  sepa- 
rated from  its  parents,  by  one  or  other  of  the  many  vicissi- 
tudes of  life,  and  to  have  grown  up  to  manhood  without  any 
personal  knowledge  of  its  father.  It  may  have  been  in  a 
dark  night,  amid  the  perils  of  the  deep,  when  a  gallant  ves- 
sel struck  upon  a  rock,  and  went  to  pieces  before  the  morn- 
ing dawn.  Some  of  the  passengers  and  crew  may  have 
found  a  watery  grave,  while  "  some  on  boards  and  some  on 
broken  pieces  of  the  ship,  may  have  escaped  to  land."  A 
young  emigrant-merchant  may  have  sought,  amongst  the  res- 
cued remnant  on  the  strand,  for  his  wife  and  child,  but  he 
may  have  sought  in  vain  ;  and  then,  disconsolate  and  miser- 
able, he  may  have  gathered  the  wreck   of  his  fortunes  to- 


IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY.  183 

gether,  and  wandered  whithersoever  a  way  presented  itself. 
Reluctant  to  return  to  his  native  country,  he  may  have  trav- 
elled from  place  to  place,  and  at  last  settled  as  a  merchant 
in  a  busy  city,  but  with  his  thoughts  continually  reverting  to 
the  objects  of  his  bereaved  affections,  now  sunk  together,  as 
he  supposes,  in  their  last  sleep.  But  perhaps  it  may  be  that 
the  mother  alone  was  laid  beneath  the  billow.  The  buoyant 
clothing  of  the  child  may  have  floated  its  light  burden  on  the 
surflice,  and  the  same  surging  timber  w^hich  struck  down  the 
one,  may  have  borne  off  the  other  in  safety.  Drifted  away 
to  sea,  a  passing  vessel  may  have  picked  up  the  weeping 
child,  and  carried  it  to  a  land  of  strangers.  Suppose  that 
child  to  advance  in  years,  ignorant  of  its  native  country,  and 
speaking  a  language  which  its  parents  had  never  kno^vn  ;  and 
suppose,  that,  with  energies  developed  and  advantages  sup- 
plied, he  goes  forth  into  the  world  to  push  his  fortunes  on 
land  and  sea ;  and  that  in  the  pursuit  of  business,  he  is 
brought  into  acquaintance  with  foreign  nations  and  with  va- 
rious merchants.  We  may  conceive  that  in  his  intercourse 
with  these,  he  meets,  in  a  far-distant  city,  with  a  merchant 
whose  intelligence  delights  him,  whose  kindness  wins  upon 
his  regard,  and  whose  probity  and  honor  render  safe  all  his 
transactions.  Would  not  self-interest  bind  him  to  that  mer- 
chant, and  make  him  anxious  to  secure  his  favor,  while  re- 
spect and  admiration  would  be  increased  at  every  success- 
ive interview.  That  youth  might,  after  a  time,  conceive  that 
he  knew  that  merchant,  and  that  he  had  become  well  ac- 
quainted with  his  character.  So  indeed  he  might  in  many 
important  respects,  and  for  the  general  requirements  of  busi- 


184  IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY. 

ness ;  but,  if  we  suppose  that  this  merchant  is  his  father, 
how  obvious  is  it  that  he  does  not  yet  know  him  in  the  one 
only  relationship  which  is  to  bind  his  heart  to  him  for  ever, 
and  which  is  to  constrain  him  to  give  up  with  joy  his  own 
separate  interests,  and  to  regard  those  of  his  merchant  friend 
as  paramount  in  importance  to  his  own,  and  as  actually  in- 
cluding and  promoting  them. 

Suppose,  then,  that  in  the  progress  of  their  acquaintance- 
ship, some  circumstance  occurs  that  incites  inquiry  on  the 
part  of  the  elder  merchant.  Suppose,  that,  in  the  process 
of  that  inquiry,  one  fact  transpires  after  another  which  pro- 
duces certainty  in  his  mind,  and  that  he  seeks  an  opportunity 
to  make  himself  known  to  him  as  his  father ;  how  great 
would  be  the  inward  change  in  the  younger  ?  How  deep- 
ened now  would  be  that  respect  which  he  had  before  enter- 
tained 1  How  inflamed  into  love  would  be  that  admiration 
which  had  been  before  kindled  ?  And  how  overjoyed  would 
he  be  to  find  that  he  had  a  place  in  the  home  and  the  heart 
of  that  hitherto  merchant  stranger,  but  now  newly-discovered 
father  1  That  youth  would  feel  that  now  he  began  to  know 
him  in  the  fullest  sense.  Now  would  he  cease  from  the 
pursuit  of  his  own  business  and  of  his  own  interests ;  now 
would  he  regard  them  as  all  merged  in  the  business  and  the 
interests  of  his  father — now  former  connexions  and  relation 
ships  would  be  held  subservient  to  this  one  grand,  all  com- 
prehensive, relationship  ;  and  now  no  longer  wandering  and 
restless,  he  would  dwell  at  home,  and  find  his  truest  happi- 
ness in  union  and  communion  with  his  father. 

Reader,  you  are  this  shipwrecked  child.     In  a  dark  night 


IMMEASURABLE  BENEFITS — PITY.  185 

of  sin  you  were  separated  from  your  Father.  Your  life  has 
been  spared,  and  your  energies  have  been  developed  in  the 
course  of  years.  Various  objects  in  life  have  solicited  and 
engaged  your  attention ;  and,  amid  the  variety  of  your  other 
pursuits,  you  may  have  entered  upon  the  business  of  religion. 
All  its  transactions  you  may  have  discharged  with  punctu- 
ality and  attention,  so  as  to  have  profited  above  many  your 
equals.  Gal.  i.  14.  In  the  interchanges  of  that  business- 
religion,  you  may  have  had  dealings  with  a  Great  Being 
whom  you  called  God,  and  you  may  have  formed  the  high- 
est respect  and  admiration  for  His  sacred  character.  All 
your  intercourses  with  Him  may  have  been  seduously  prose- 
cuted in  the  way  of  business,  in  the  path  of  duty,  in  the  pur- 
suit of  your  own  interests.  Diligent  and  exact  in  the  per- 
formance of  your  different  obligations,  you  may  yet  have 
felt  no  real  pleasure  in  their  performance — and,  like  other 
men  after  duty  was  over,  you  may  have  thought  that  when 
you  had  read  your  portion  of  Scripture,  and  said  your 
prayers  ("performed  your  devotions,"  as  it  is  called),  you 
were  all  right,  and  that  therefore  you  could  now  enjoy  your- 
self, and  indulge  in  everything  agreeable,  either  to  your  cir- 
cumstances or  your  inclination.  A  conviction,  too,  might 
have  inwardly  possessed  your  mind  that  this  Great  Being 
had  His  interests  to  promote,  and  that  you  also  had  yours  ; 
and  that  were  these  united,  you  could  depend  on  His  sup- 
port ;  but  that  were  these  separated,  you  must  each  seek  af- 
ter your  own.  You  might  have  conceived  that  you  knew 
this  God,  and  that  you  were  well  acquainted  with  His  char- 
acter and  his  attributes,  and  you  might  have  flattered  your- 


186  IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY. 

self  that  you  were  rising  in  His  favor,  and  that,  ere  long, 
you  might  hope  to  regard  Him  as  your  friend.  All  this 
time  the  true  God  was  to  you  only  as  a  stranger.  But  sup- 
pose that  in  the  course  of  your  formal  services,  God  revealed 
Himself  to  you  as  your  long  lost  Father,  and  that  by  the 
blessed  inward  persuasion  of  the  Spirit  of  His  Son,  you  were 
enabled  to  cry  "  Abba,  Father,"  how  great  would  be  the 
change  1  How  blessed  would  now  become  all  your  inter- 
courses with  Him  under  this  transporting  knowledge  1  How 
joyful  would  become  all  your  performances  of  religious  ser- 
vice ?  The  irksome  sense  of  duty  would  give  way  to  the 
feeling  of  delight,  the  spirit  of  bondage  would  be  cast  out 
by  the  spirit  of  adoption.  Now  would  you  begin  to  know 
God;  now  would  your  own  personal  interests  become 
merged  in  those  of  your  newly-discovered  Father ;  now  all 
former  connexions  and  relationships  would  be  held  subser- 
vient to  this  one  paramount  relationship;  and  now  no 
longer  seeking  and  hoping  to  purchase  His  favor  by  your 
religious  performances,  you  would  rejoice  in  His  favor  al- 
ready bestowed  in  Jesus,  and  serve  Him  from  love  al- 
ready felt.  All  the  admiration  and  respect  which  the 
knowledge  of  God's  attributes  had  awakened,  would  now 
be  deepened  a  hundred  fold,  and  made  immediately  and 
for  ever  effectual,  shedding  abroad  over  your  heart,  at  one 
and  the  same  moment,  a  filial  love  and  a  filial  fear. 

By  this  verse  the  Psalmist  bids  you  carry  these  senti- 
ments with  you  to  the  close  of  life — ^to  cheer  each  difficult 
step  as  you  advance,  to  gladden  each  solitary  hour,  to  lighten 
every  oppressive  burden,  and  to  remove  every  shadow  of 


IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY.  187 

anxiety  :  for  this  is  the  gracious  assurance  which  it  contains, 
"  Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  so  the  Lord  pitieth 
them  that  fear  Him." 

The  "  pity"  here  spoken  of  is  one  of  the  deepest  and 
purest  emotions  in  the  human  breast.     It  is  not  the  mere 
pity  of  a  superior  to  an  inferior,  of  a  master  to  a  servant, 
of  a  judge  to  a  criminal.     It  is  not  the  cold  pity  of  a  stranger 
to  a  beggar,  when  he  gives  an  alms.     It  is  not  the  pity  of  a 
rich  merchant,  when  he  drops  some  expressions  of  commiser- 
ation over  a  poor  bankrupt  that  has  lost  his  all.     Nor  is  it 
that  better  feeling,  with  which  one  kind  neighbor  visits  an- 
other in  his  sickness,  and  administers  to  his  wants  ;  nor  yet 
is  it  that  deeper  emotion,  with  which  the  pious  parents  of  a 
happy  family  deplore  the  helpless  condition  of  the  children 
of  a  departed  friend,  now  left  orphans  and  desolate.     No,  it 
is  none  of  these  which  the  Psalmist  here  means.     It  is  the 
pity  with  which  these  parents  regard  their  own  children  that 
he  here  describes — a  yearning  emotion,  deep  and  full,  which 
none  but  parents  feel.     In  parental  pity  there  is  no  scorn- 
no  implied  superiority  on  their  part,  no  insinuated  inferiority 
on  ours.     It  is  not  a  pity  which  mortifies  and  lowers  while 
it  relieves,  but,  on  the  contrary,  which  gladdens  and  elevates 
the  soul.     It  is  the  tender  yearnings  of  a  compassion  which 
watches  over  a  much-loved  child— w^iich  sympathizes  with 
its  every  pain,  enters  into  its  varied  feelings,  supplies  its 
numerous  wants,  and  anticipates  its  unuttered  desires.     It  is 
a  pity  which  begins  at  birth,  lasts  through  life,  and  terminates 
only  with  death.     It  is  a  pity  which  listens  to  the  cries  of 
infancy,  bears  with  the  waywardness  of  youth,  and  patiently 


188  IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY. 

and  perseveringly  administers  to  soul  and  body.  It  is  a 
pity  which  grows  with  a  child's  growth,  and  strengthens  with 
its  strength — which  compassionates  its  youthful  ignorance, 
its  fretful  tempers,  its  impatient  moods — a  pity  which  is 
long-suffering  through  successive  years  :  which  distinguishes 
between  the  offence  and  the  offender,  punishing  the  one,  and 
yet  loving  the  other — a  pity  which  fastens  on  the  least,  and 
it  may  be  the  last,  glimmering  of  penitence  in  the  back- 
sliding child,  which  hates  to  cast  him  away,  and  longs  for 
his  return  to  reconciliation  and  affection.  In  a  single  word, 
the  word  of  the  Psalmist,  it  is  parental  pity — the  parental 
pity  of  God  our  Father — a  pity  which  is  entertained  only 
by  parents  towards  their  children,  and  which  God,  as  a 
Parent,  entertains  towards  His — a  pity  which  leads  the 
earthly  and  the  heavenly  Parent,  tenderly  to  consider  all  the 
feelings  and  the  desires,  all  the  circumstances  and  the  neces- 
sities, of  each  individual  member  of  the  family,  and  to  pro- 
vide for  all  alike  with  readiness  and  faithfulness,  with  fulness 
and  delight. 

The  difference  between  the  pity  of  the  Lord  and  the  pity 
of  man,  may  be  illustrated  by  the  difference  between  the 
pity  which  a  parent,  and  a  stranger,  exhibit  towards  the 
same  object.  You  gaze,  perhaps,  on  the  wan  and  wasted 
countenance  of  a  child,  whom  you  had  seen  before  in  the 
bloom  and  the  brightness  of  health.  You  observe  its  droop- 
ing, pining  state,  and  you  feel  within  you  an  emotion  of 
pity.  But,  however  full  and  sincere  that  feeling  may  be 
within  your  own  breast,  how  far  short  does  it  come  of  that 
deep  and  constant,  that  self-denying  and  all-absorbing  pity, 


IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY.  189 

which  flows  in  full  tide  from  the  heart  of  the  parent  to  that 
sickly  child  !  Such  is  the  illustration  which  God  Himself 
employs  to  unfold  the  fulness,  the  constancy,  the  tenderness, 
the  intensity  of  His  own  pity  towards  His  people  :  "  As  one 
whom  his  mother  comforteth,  so  will  I  comfort  you."  Isa. 
Ixvi.  13. 

Instantaneous  and  irrepressible  are  the  feelings  of  a 
parent  at  the  discovery  of  suffering  in  a  child.  Words  can- 
not utter  them.  The  trembling  hand  ;  the  agitated  frame  ; 
the  gushing  tear  ;  the  prompt  and  energetic  efforts  to  relieve, 
proclaim  the  presence  and  the  power  of  parental  pity.  Nor 
is  this  displayed  only  toward  the  gentle  and  the  good  ;  even 
the  unthankful  and  the  forward  are  included  in  the  tender 
commiserations  of  parental  pity.  Who  pities  the  prodigal  ? 
— the  Parent !  Who  thinks  most  frequently  of  the  absent 
youth  ? — the  Parent !  Who  embraces,  yea,  runs  to  meet 
him  at  his  return  ? — the  Parent !  Who  pities,  it  may  be, 
even  the  rebel,  and  strives  to  save  his  life  ? — his  intended 
victim,  the  Parent !  Who,  of  all  the  human  race,  weeps 
inconsolably  at  his  death,  and  exclaims,  Would  God  I  had 
died  for  thee  ? — that  one  only  man  who  could  add  as  a  Parent 
"  My  son,  my  son." 

Unfathomable  as  is  the  depth  of  parental  pity  in  the 
breast  of  man,  how  deep  and  inexhaustible  must  be  the  pity 
which  resides  in  the  heart  of  God !  And  as  the  Saviour, 
when  adducing  the  goodness  of  parents  to  their  children, 
rises  infinitely  above  it  in  His  argument,  and  concludes, 
"  How  much  more  will  your  heavenly  Father  give  good 
things,"  even  the  Holy  Spirit,  "  to  them  that  ask  Him !" 


190  IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY. 

compare  Matt.  vii.  11,  with  Luke  xi.  13,  so  ought  we  to  rise 
infinitely  above  the  height  to  which  this  beautiful  compari- 
son, this  appropriate  illustration,  of  the  Psalmist  has  raised 
us,  and  argue  thus,  "  If  an  earthly  father  pitieth  his  children, 
how  much  more  doth  our  heavenly  Father  pity  them  that 
fear  Him." 

The  pity  of  the  Lord  is  infinite,  like  all  His  other  attri- 
butes. Unlike  that  of  some  earthly  parents,  it  is  not  a 
weak,  or  a  fitfal, — not  a  promiscuous,  or  a  temporary  pity. 
It  is  not  a  mere  sentiment  that  lies  at  one  time  idly  in  the 
breast,  and  then  at  another  flows  forth  with  indiscriminate 
profusion.  The  pity  of  the  Lord  is  not  an  evanescent  feel- 
ing, not  a  fitful  compassion ;  but  a  calm,  constant,  and  ever- 
lasting principle.  It  is  founded  on  the  holiness,  regulated  by 
the  wisdom,  poured  forth  by  the  love,  made  fruitful  by  the 
power,  and  rendered  permanent  by  the  unchangeableness, 
of  Jehovah.  The  pity  of  the  Lord  is  altogether  pure  and 
perfect,  entirely  free  and  full ;  alike  boundless,  inexhausti- 
ble, and  everlasting. 

As  earthly  parents  have  their  pity  deepened,  and  called 
forth  into  lively  exercise  by  the  knowledge  of  their  children's 
helplessness  ;  and,  even  after  they  have  grown  up  to  years, 
retain  in  full  remembrance  the  weak  and  tiny  form  in  which 
these  children  once  lay  within  their  arms,  "  SO  the  Lord 
pitieth  them  that  fear  Him.  For  He  knoweth  our  frame, 
He  remembereth  that  we  are  dust !"  This  is  the  explana- 
tory argument  added  by  the  Psalmist.  Man  carries  about 
with  him  the  frame-work  of  mortality.  He  sees  it  daily, 
and  makes  it  subservient  to  all  his  wants  and  wishes.     Yet 


IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY.  191 

he  knows  it  not.  In  the  ignorance  of  his  uninstructed  mind, 
he  understands  not  the  original  construction  of  his  own  frame 
— the  marvellous  mechanism  of  his  various  parts — the  dif- 
ferent functions  of  its  individual  members — or  the  unity  and 
the  mutual  dependence  of  the  whole.  All  these  are  beyond 
the  reach  of  common  observation.  They  stand  out  only  be- 
fore the  eye  of  careful  study,  and  of  minute  and  long-con- 
tinued investigation ;  and  even  then,  only  in  part.  The  vast 
majority  of  mankind  pass  away  out  of  the  world,  without 
knowing,  or  seeking  to  know,  the  nature  of  their  own  mortal 
frame.  But  the  Great  Creator  "  Imoweth  our  frame."  Every 
part  of  it  is  open  to  His  eye.  All  its  excellencies  and 
its  defects,  are  conspicuous  to  His  gaze.  His  hand  formed 
it  at  the  first ;  and  all  the  reasons  for  the  peculiar  formation 
of  its  various  parts  were  maturely  weighed  by  Him.  It  was 
no  mere  physical  power  which  caused  the  human  being  to 
stand  erect  upon  the  earth — it  was  the  deliberate  act,  the 
considerate  purpose,  of  the  Most  High.  God  had  said,  "  Let 
there  be  light,"  and  there  was  light.  God  had  said,  "  Let 
the  earth  bring  forth,"  and  the  earth  brought  forth.  He 
spake,  and  it  was  done.  But  when  man  was  about  to  be 
created,  the  Triune  Jehovah  spake  as  it  were  in  counsel : 
"  Let  us  make  man  after  our  image."  It  was  a  deliberate 
act  of  creation — an  act  in  which  forethought,  wisdom,  love 
and  power,  were  all  harmoniously  exerted.  Not  that  these 
were  wanting  in  the  creation  of  the  whole  material  world, 
but  that  in  the  creation  of  man  they  were  conspicuously  and 
pre-eminently  exhibited.  The  Lord,  then,  "  knoweth  our 
frame,"  because  He  is  the  Creator  of  it.     He  also  "  knows" 


192  IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY. 

it,  because  He  is  its  continual  Preserver.  We  live,  we 
move,  we  have  our  being  in  God.  All  would  go  wrong  in 
the  multiform  and  complex  machinery  of  our  bodily  frame, 
did  not  the  Lord  continually  watch  over  its  various  move- 
ments. His  perfect  knowledge  of  every  part,  enables  Him 
at  once  to  give  to  each  that  special  care  which  it  requires. 
The  forethought  and  the  love,  the  wisdom  and  the  power,  so 
conspicuously  displayed  in  the  original  creation  of  our  frame, 
are  all  exhibited  in  its  daily  and  hourly  preservation.  Again 
the  Lord  "  knows"  it.  because  He  never  ceases  to  bear  a 
continual  "  remembrance"  of  its  original  composition.  This 
is  here  assigned  by  the  Psalmist  as  one  great  moving  cause 
of  His  paternal  pity.  When  the  Lord  beholds  the  sins  and 
the  short-comings,  the  sufferings  and  the  death  of  those  that 
fear  Him,  He  pities  them  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children ; 
"  for  He  remembers  that  they  are  dust."  Man  himself  for- 
gets this  fact.  Our  self-love  would  hide  it  from  our  sight, 
and  our  pride  would  banish  it  from  our  recollection.  But 
the  Lord  ever  remembers  it.  The  day,  the  hour,  the  very 
moment,  of  man's  creation,  are  all  fresh  before  the  Eternal 
Mind.  Upon  the  selected  spot  of  earth  the  Omniscient  Eye 
was  fixed, — upon  its  particles  of  dust  the  Almighty  Hand 
was  laid,  and  instantly  the  perfect  form  of  the  first  man  lay 
moulded  on  its  mother  earth.  Thus  the  Lord  God  formed 
man  out  of  the  dust  of  the  ground.  And  never  has  He  for- 
gotten that  moment,  or  that  work.  He  saw  the  uncreated 
Adam  in  his  original  dust.  And  He  beholds  all  His  created 
children  also  in  their  native  nothingness.  When  he  sees 
man  vaunting  himself  in  pomp  and  power,  He  regards  him 


IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY.  193 

as  a  piece  of  animated  dust.  And  to  keep  his  children  ever 
humble,  He  bids  them  look  upon  the  rock  whence  they  were 
hewn,  and  to  the  hole  of  the  pit  whence  they  were  digged. 
Isa.  li.  1. 

To  those  who  fear  the  Lord,  and  who  strive  to  please  Him, 
this  "  remembrance,"  on  the  part  of  their  heavenly  Father, 
is  most  soothing  and  consolatory.  They  feel  assured  there- 
by, that  He  who  thus  intimately  "  knows  their  frame,"  and 
has  so  "  long  remembered"  whereof  they  were  made,  will 
pity,  will  comfort  and  sustain  them,  in  all  the  difficulties  and 
dangerous  paths  of  their  earthly  pilgrimage.  A  parent  ever 
looks  upon  his  child  with  the  knowledge  and  the  remem- 
brance of  its  once  infant  helplessness.  The  child  carries  not 
this  knowledge  about  with  him ;  but  the  parent  never  can 
divest  himself  of  the  remembrance,  nor  cease  to  be  actuated 
by  the  pity,  which  that  recollection  awakens.  The  pity  of 
the  Lord  is  based  on  the  same  ground  :  "  He  knoweth  our 
frame,  He  remembereth  that  we  are  dust :"  and  therefore 
He  will  neither  exact,  nor  expect,  more  from  us  than  we  are 
able  to  perform.  Had  we  constructed  a  living  being  out  of 
the  ground,  who,  when  he  came  to  act  for  himself,  should 
prove  disobedient  and  ungrateful,  we  should  be  disposed  to 
call  his  origin  to  remembrance,  and  say.  What  could  we  ex- 
pect from  a  pillar  of  dust !  And  such  is  man  to  the  Most 
High  God — a  pillar  of  dust !  The  Lord  remembers  this. 
In  dealing  with  all  the  children  of  Adam,  He  does  not  forget 
their  feeble  origin.  Even  when  He  chastises  us  for  our  sins. 
His  heart  pities  us  under  every  stroke  ;  "  for  He  knoweth 
our  frame,  He  remembereth  that  we  are  dust."     It  is  writ- 


194  IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY. 

ten,  "  The  Lord  doeth  not  afflict  willingly,  nor  grieve  the 
children  of  men."  We  read  that  "  His  soul  was  grieved  for 
the  misery  of  Israel,"  when  they  cried  to  Him  in  the  sore- 
ness of  their  strait,  and  in  the  bitterness  of  their  repentance. 
Judges  X.  16.  "  In  all  their  afflictions,"  we  rejoice  to  be  in- 
formed that  "  He  was  afflicted  :"  and  the  angel  of  His  pres- 
ence saved  them :  in  His  love  and  in  His  pity  He  redeemed 
them,  and  He  bare  them  and  carried  them  all  the  days  of 
old.  Isa.  Ixiii.  9.  The  heavenly  Parent  never  forgot  that 
they  were  dust. 

Earthly  parents  may  not  at  all  times  act  with  unvarying 
consideration.  They  may  at  one  time  exact  too  much,  and 
at  another  expect  too  little,  from  their  children.  They  may 
not  make  adequate  allowance  for  their  different  dispositions, 
or  their  peculiar  infirmities.  The  sensitive  feelings  of  one 
child  they  may  not  understand ;  and  the  individual  circum- 
stances of  another  they  may  altogether  overlook,  or  not  suf 
ficiently  remember.  But  it  is  not  so  with  our  heavenly 
Father.  "  He  knoweth  our  frame."  He  possesses  a  thorough 
understanding  of  our  whole  nature — its  failings  and  its  feel- 
ings— its  wants  and  its  dispositions- — its  tendencies  and  its 
propensities — its  strength  and  its  weakness.  In  calling  us 
to  the  performance  of  duty,  in  exhorting  us  to  follow  after 
good,  and  in  warning  us  against  approaches  to  evil,  through- 
out our  whole  pilgrimage  from  earth  to  heaven,  "  He  re- 
membereth  that  we  are  dust."  His  ancient  people  were 
comforted  and  encouraged  by  this  humbling,  yet  remarkable 
topic :  "  Fear  not,  thou  worm  Jacob."  Isa.  xli.  14.  "  But 
now  thus  saith  the  Lord  that  created  thee,  oh  Jacob,  and  He 


IMMEASURABLE   BENEFITS — PITY.  195 

that  formed  thee,  oh  Israel,  fear  not."  Isa.  xliii.  1.     God  was 
mindful  of  their  original  nothingness. 

Many  are  the  proofs  and  instances  recorded  in  Scripture 
that  the  "  Lord  is  very  pitiful,  and  of  tender  mercy."  James 
V.  11.  When  Jesus  was  come  near  and  beheld  the  city  of 
Jerusalem,  "  he  wept  over  it"  at  the  thought  of  its  destruc- 
tion. Luke  xix.  41.  So  full  of  pity  was  His  tender  heart, 
that  it  was  ever  alive  to  human  suffering,  and  continually 
touched  with  a  feeling  for  our  infirmities.  Again  we  read 
that,  when  Jesus  saw  Mary  "  weeping,  and  the  Jews  also 
weeping  which  came  with  her.  He  groaned  in  the  spirit  and 
was  troubled,  and  said,  Where  have  ye  laid  him  1  They 
said  unto  Him,  Lord,  come  and  see.  Jesus  wept.  Then 
said  the  Jews,  behold  how  He  loved  Him."  John  xi.  36. 

When  our  blessed  Lord  was  passing  through  His  bitter 
agony  in  Gethsemane,  His  pity  was  not  absorbed  by  His 
own  sufferings.  He  "  knew  the  frame"  of  His  slumbering 
disciples.  He  remembered  that  they  were  "  dust :"  and 
from  that  remembrance  His  pity  made  for  them  that  only 
apology  which  could  at  all  extenuate  their  conduct :  "  The 
spirit  is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak."  Matt.  xxvi.  41. 

Let  us  fervently  thank  God  through  Christ  Jesus  for  His 
paternal  pity.  Let  us  praise  Him  for  His  continual  remem- 
brance of  our  lowly  origin.  Let  us  ever  bear  that  origin  in 
remembrance  ourselves  to  keep  us  truly  humble  ;  and  let  a 
sense  of  our  nothingness  before  Him,  cause  us  constantly  to 
draw  closer  to  the  Lord.  The  exhibition  of  His  pity  as 
that  of  a  Father,  teaches  us  at  once  our  duty  and  our  privi- 
lege.     It  is  our  duty  to  fear  Him  as  children,,  and  it  is  our 


196  IMMEASUEABLE   BENEFITS — PITY. 

privilege  to  love  Him  as  a  father.  It  is  our  duty  never  to 
distrust  His  pity,  and  it  is  our  privilege  to  believe  that  His 
pity  is  inexhaustible.  It  is  our  duty  to  glorify  His  pity  by 
imitating  it  in  our  conduct  towards  our  fellow  men,  and  it  is 
our  privilege  to  rejoice  in  that  pity  as  embracing  all  who 
fear  Him,  equally  with  ourselves,  and  ourselves  equally  with 
them. 

Blessed  is  the  life  of  the  believer — -joyful  is  his  duty — 
and  glorious  is  his  privilege  !  He  is  called  to  live  with  God 
as  a  child  with  a  father.  He  is  commanded  to  cast  all  his 
care  upon  that  Father's  wisdom,  and  all  his  sins  upon  His 
pardoning  love.  And  he  is  privileged  to  know  assuredly 
that  God  as  his  Father  in  Christ  Jesus,  pitieth  and  careth 
for  him.  1  Pet.  v.  7.  Is  this,  dear  Reader,  the  blessed  life 
you  are  now  leading  ?  Is  this  the  joyful  duty  you  are  daily 
discharging  ?  Is  this  the  glorious  privilege  you  are  hourly 
enjoying  1  In  Christ  Jesus  you  are  welcome  to  enter  on 
them  all  with  thanksgiving  at  this  very  moment.  "The 
Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  come.  And  let  him  that  heareth 
say,  come.  And  let  him  that  is  athirst  come.  And  whoso- 
ever will,  let  him  take  the  water  of  life  freely."  Rev.  xxii.  17. 


XIII. 

ITING   THE   LENGTH    OF    GOD's   LOYE,    IN   CONTRAST   WITH 
THE   BREVITY   OF   HUMAN   EXISTENCE. 


As  for  man,  his  days  are  as  grass  ;  as  a  flower  of  the  field,  so  he 
flourisheth.  For  the  wind  passe th  over  it,  and  it  is  gone  ;  and 
the  place  thereof  shall  know  it  no  more.  But  the  mercy  of  the 
Lord  is  from  everlasting  to  everlasting  upon  them  that  fear 
Him,  and  His  righteousness  unto  children's  children  ;  to  such 
as  teep  His  covenant,  and  to  those  that  remem.her  His  command- 
ments to  do  them. — "Verses  15 — 18. 

Amid  the  many  changes  of  the  world,  and  the  passing 
away  of  its  generations,  how  desirable,  how  necessary,  how 
delightful,  is  it  to  possess  enduring  realities,  and  to  look 
forward  to  the  enjoyment  of  everlasting  happiness  !  Such 
is  the  substantial  possession,  and  the  gladdening  prospect,  of 
the  true  believer.  He,  alone,  of  all  the  children  of  men,  can 
afford  both  to  hold  the  world  at  its  real  value,  and  to  let  it 
go  as  of  no  value.  He  alone  can  calmly  and  joyfully  con- 
template the  rapid  flight  of  time  and  the  nearness  of  eternity. 
He  alone  can  "  take  joyftdly  the  spoiling  of  his  goods"  by 
oppressors ;  the  spoiling  of  his  health  by  sickness ;  the 
spoiling  of  his  strength  by  age  ;  the  despoiling  of  his  life  by 
death  ;  knowing,  in  himself,  that  he  has  in  heaven,  and  in 
God,  "  a  better  and  an  enduring  substance."     The  man  of 


198  EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — MKRCY. 

the  world  labors,  through  fear  of  the  discovery,  to  conceal 
the  inscription  which  is  written  on  all  things  here  below : 
the  true  believer,  on  the  contrary,  labors  to  decipher  its 
various  letters,  and  courageously  gives  utterance  to  the  uni- 
versal maxim  which  they  contain.  Vanity  of  vanities — all  is 
vanity ! 

The  Psalmist  possessed  this  spiritual  courage,  because  he 
possessed  the  true  spiritual  wealth.  He  felt  that  he  could 
afford  to  lose  everything  on  earth,  even  life  itself,  because 
he  could  lay  his  hand  on  a  counter-balancing,  and  a  far 
higher,  gain.  When,  therefore,  he  had  made  the  admission 
that  man  is  but  "  dust,"  he  does  not  suddenly  turn  from  the 
melancholy  subject,  and  recoil  from  its  further  contempla- 
tion. On  the  contrary,  he  proceeds  immediately  to  enlarge 
upon  the  theme  ;  and  is  led  to  place,  in  juxtaposition  with 
it,  another  theme  so  glorious  in  character,  that  it  strips  the 
former  of  its  horror,  and  lightens  its  dark  shade.  Indeed, 
it  is  only  as  the  necessary  shading  to  his  picture,  that  the 
Psalmist  introduces  this  sad  topic.  The  subject  which  he 
had  proposed  for  his  pencil  was  the  goodness  of  the  Lord. 
It  was  not  his  object  and  intention  to  speak  of  human 
nothingness  in  this  Psalm.  But  mark  how  incidentally  the 
doctrine  is  introduced,  or  rather  introduces  itself.  He  had 
been  ruminating  on  the  marvellous  pity  of  the  Lord,  and 
rejoicing  to  regard  it  as  that  of  a  tender-hearted  Father  ;  and 
finding  no  way  to  account  for  the  existence  of  that  pity,  he 
was  naturally,  and,  as  it  were,  necessarily  led  to  add,  "  for 
He  knoweth  our  frame.  He  remembereth  that  we  are  dust." 
The  greatness  of  God's  pity  leads  him  to  assign  his  own  in- 


EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — MERCY.  199 

significance  as  its  cause.     The  prominency  of  that  bright 
object  in  the  fore-ground,  casts  this  deep  shadow  behind  it ; 
and,  as  he  proceeds  to  impart  breadth  and  depth  to  that 
shadow,  by  disposing  his  colors  in  relief,  behold  another  ob- 
ject stands  out  to  view,  with  vividness  and  reality,  as  occu- 
pying the  largest  space  upon  his  canvas — the  "mercy  of 
the  Lord."     Contrast  gives  the  fairest  estimate,  and  sets 
forth  the  fullest  beauty.     The  Psalmist,  therefore,  having 
grouped  together  Special  benefits.  Manifold  benefits,  and 
Immeasurable  benefits,  having  illustrated  the  height  of  God's 
mercy,  the  breadth  of  His  forgiveness,  and  the  depth  of  His 
pity,  proceeds  to  depict  the  length  of  His  love,  in  Ever- 
lasting benefits.     And  preparatory  to  introducmg  this  bright, 
unfailing,  and  glorious  subject,  he   strikingly  displays  its 
contrast  with  the  nothingness  of  man,  and  the  brevity  of 
human  existence,  and  says  :  "  As  for  man,  his  days  are  as 
grass :  as  a  flower  of  the  field  so  he  flourisheth.     For  the 
wind  passeth  over  it,  and  it  is  gone  ;  and  the  place  thereof 
shall  know  it  no  more.     But  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  is  from 
everlasting  to  everlasting  upon  them  that  fear  Him,  and 
his  righteousness  unto  children's  children ;  to  such  as  keep 
His  covenant,  and  to  those  that  remember  His  command- 
ments to  do  them." 

The  two  great  topics  of  these  verses,  the  everlasting 
"mercy"  and  "righteousness"  of  the  Lord,  are  alike  de- 
signed to  be  illustrated  by  this  comparison  with  human  weak- 
ness and  vanity ;  they  were  each  written  for  the  immediate 
consolation  of  those  who  then  feared  God ;  and  they  also  be- 
longed equally  as  blessings  to  all  who  preceded  them  in  ex- 


200  EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — MEECY. 

istence,  as  they  do  to  every  generation  of  their  successors. 
Each  of  these  important  topics  presents  more  matter  to  our 
thoughts  than  a  single  chapter  can  contain :  and  to  the  con- 
sideration, therefore,  of  the  former,  we  will  at  present  di- 
rect our  attention. 

The  "  everlasting  mercy"  of  the  Lord  is  only  to  be  de- 
scribed as  one  of  the  "  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ."  We 
derive,  however,  some  aid  in  our  contemplation  of  it,  by  the 
consideration  of  our  own  mortality,  our  own  brevity  of  ex- 
istence. Having  stated  in  the  previous  verse  what  man 
himself  is — "  dust"  the  Psalmist  next  proceeds  to  describe 
what  man's  life  is, — "  As  for  man,  his  days  are  as  grass  :  as 
a  flower  of  the  field  so  he  flourisheth  :  for  the  wind  passeth 
over  it,  and  it  is  gone,  and  the  place  thereof  shall  know  it 
no  more." 

There  are  here  two  comparisons ;  first  "  grass ;"  and  sec- 
ondly, "  a  flower  of  the  field."  In  every  climate  under 
heaven  man  beholds  his  own  frail  and  perishing  emblems. 
The  grass  is  universal ; — and  its  decay  is  universal.  It 
breaks  forth  in  the  spring,  and  it  is  cut  down,  or  withers,  in 
the  autumn.  And  man  himself  is  like  the  grass  on  which 
he  treads.  He  is  formed  out  of  the  same  dust ;  he  passes 
through  the  same  changes ;  and  he  returns  into  the  same 
dust  again.  Should  any  one,  however,  demand  for  himself 
a  more  flattering  emblem  than  the  grass,  the  Psalmist  here 
presents  him  with  another  in  "  the  flower  of  the  field." 
And  since  the  Saviour  has  declared  that  "  even  Solomon  in 
all  his  glory  was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these ;"  this  com- 
parison instituted  by  the  Psalmist,  may  well  be  regarded  as 


EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — MKRCY.  201 

favorable  in  the  highest  degree.  But  yet,  though  we  take 
man  thus  represented  at  his  best  estate — though  we  contem- 
plate him  as  adorned  with  all  that  wealth,  and  grandeur,  and 
royalty,  can  supply,  w^hat  is  he,  even  then,  but  as  a  "  flower 
of  the  field"  ?  He  is  elevated  indeed  above  the  blades  of 
grass  in  the  common  field  of  humanity  ;  and  it  may  be  also 
that  he  is  more  useful,  and  more  remarkable,  in  some  pecu- 
liar properties,  than  the  great  majority  around  him  ;  but  yet 
is  he  not, with  them  equally  evanescent?  "Man"  in  his 
highest  earthly  glory,  is  as  a  "  flower"  in  its  full  bloom ;  yet 
beautiful  indeed  are  they  both  in  their  brief  season.  What 
an  attractive  object  on  the  plain,  even  at  a  distance,  is  a 
flower  enamelled  by  the  verdant  grass  !  Tall  and  fair,  its 
beauty  of  color,  its  elegance  of  form,  draw  forth  our  admi- 
ration. The  eye  rests  with  satisfaction  on  its  progressive 
beauties.  It  is  lovely  in  the  unfolding  bud  ;  it  is  lovelier 
still  in  full-blown  perfection.  The  sun  discloses  its  loveli- 
ness, and  the  soft  air  diffuses  its  fragrance.  We  survey  it 
with  delight,  and  we  return,  from  time  to  time,  to  gaze  upon 
its  rich  and  varied  hues.  But  ere  long,  a  wind,  which  we 
had  scarcely  observed,  has  blighted  its  beauty.  The  droop- 
ing head  betrays  its  decay,  and  anon,  a  few  withered  leaves 
testify  that  it  is  gone.  How  great  is  our  disappointment ! 
We  now  look  around  in  vain.  The  wind  has  passed  away. 
The  sun  shines  forth  again  with  enlivening  beams.  The  air 
is  balmy  and  delightful  as  before.  Shall  we  see  our  fuir 
flower  again '?  Ah,  no.  It  is  gone,  and  the  place  thereof 
knows  it  no  more.     And  such  is  man  !     He  may  be  strong 

and  vigorous  as  the  grass,  or  he  may  be  fliir  and  flourishing 

9* 


202  EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — MERCY. 

as  the  flower  of  the  field.  The  elegance  of  his  manner,  or 
the  valor  of  his  arm  ;  the  wisdom  of  his  mind,  or  the  sweet- 
ness of  his  disposition ;  the  beauty  of  his  example,  or  the 
fragrance  of  his  benevolence ;  the  integrity  of  his  principles, 
or  the  elevation  of  his  rank ;  may  have  made  him  as  a 
"  flower"  among  his  fellows.  The  place  of  his  birth,  or  of 
his  residence,  may  have  been  recorded  by  the  historian,  and 
the  grandeur  of  his  achievements  emblazoned  by  the  heralds 
of  fame.  "  When  the  ear  heard  him,  it  may  have  blessed 
him  ;  and  when  the  eye  saw  him,  it  may  have  given  witness 
to  him."  But  a  wind,  a  breath,  an  unseen,  an  unnoticed  in- 
fluence, passes  over  him,  and  he  is  gone ;  and  the  post  in 
the  eamp,  or  the  senate,  which  he  filled ;  the  position  in  so- 
ciety which  he  adorned ;  the  place  in  the  family,  where  he 
was  loved,  knows  him  no  more,  for  ever !  "  All  flesh  is 
grass,  and  all  the  glory  thereof  as  the  flower  of  grass.  The 
grass  withereth,  and  the  flower  thereof  fadeth  away." 

This  is  a  dismal  consideration — a  dark  and  uninviting 
picture.  To  those  who  know  not  God  in  Christ  Jesus,  it  is 
dismal  without  relief — a  dark  picture  without  light.  In  this 
world,  w^e  behold  children  bereft  of  parents  by  the  remorse- 
less hand  of  death ;  we  behold  friend  snatched  away  from 
the  embrace  of  friend  ;  and,  suddenly,  or  slowly,  we  witness 
one  after  another  sink  into  the  tomb  ;  their  pity  and  their 
love  are  buried  with  them  :  in  that  very  day  their  thoughts 
of  kindness  towards  us,  their  purposes  of  benevolence,  all 
perish.  The  long  promised  preferment,  the  anxiously  ex- 
pected elevation,  was  just  about  to  be  realized,  and  lo  !  the 
warm-hearted  friend,  or  the  generous  patron,  by  whom  it 


EVERLASTING   BKNEFITS — MERCY.  203 

was  all  to  be  secured,  sinks  in  death  ;  and  we  behold  the 
place  of  profit,  or  the  post  of  honor,  conferred  upon  a 
stranger  !  But  more  bitter  still  is  that  living  death,  where 
mercy  expires  in  a  patron's  heart,  and  pity  grows  cold  in 
the  bosom  of  a  friend ;  when  promises  are  forgotten,  pro- 
fessions are  falsified,  and  expectations  are  crushed.  These 
are  some  of  the  mortifications  of  this  passing  world,  where 
life  and  death  weave  busily  the  chequered  winding-sheet  of 
human  hopes.  These,  alas !  are  painful  facts.  They  pre- 
sent themselves  to  the  observation  of  every  man ;  but  be- 
cause they  are  unpleasant,  they  are  not  welcomed  by  the 
natural  heart ;  and  all  mention  of  death,  and  of  the  grave,  is 
studiously  avoided.  This  is  perfectly  natural  to  fallen  men. 
Few  persons  possess  the  courage,  in  all  cases,  to  seek  to 
know  the  worst.  It  is  always  the  safest  course  to  ascertain 
the  real  state  of  a  case ;  and  it  is  just  because  religion 
seeks  to  make  us  safe,  that  it  declares  the  case  to  us  in  its 
true  nature.  Men,  however,  are  often  too  impatient  to 
listen  to  all  that  religion  unfolds.  They  turn  from  its  open- 
ing statements,  saying,  "  We  cannot  bear  to  hear  all  this  : 
it  makes  us  melancholy.  The  Bible  is  constantly  speaking 
of  death  and  the  grave,  the  brevity  of  life,  and  the  nearness 
of  eternity."  Men  thus  allow  their  minds  to  become  im- 
pressed with  their  own  hasty  and  erroneous  conceptions. 
They  imagine  that  the  business  of  the  Scriptures,  and  the 
object  of  God's  ministers,  is  to  speak  only  of  these  sad  and 
melancholy  things.  But  in  this  they  are  greatly  mistaken. 
It  is  not  the  end  and  object  of  God's  Word  to  make  known 
these  painful  truths.     They  are  all  known  already.     They 


204  EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — MERCY. 

are  existing  facts — universally  existing  facts.  The  Bible 
does  not  make  them,  but  relates  them.  It  is  as  a  means  to 
a  high  and  glorious  end,  that  they  are  adduced.  The  proper 
business  and  object  of  the  religion  of  truth,  is  not  to  pro- 
claim death,  but  to  publish  life  ; — not  to  announce  the  grave, 
but  to  disclose  the  resurrection  ; — not  to  make  them  melan- 
choly and  dispirited,  but  to  bid  them  "  rejoice  in  the  Lord 
alway."  This  is  the  grand  and  immediate  end  which  religion 
has  in  view.  The  faithful  ministers  of  Christ  likewise,  do 
not  seek  to  darken  the  picture  of  human  life — it  is  dark 
enough  already.  Their  object,  rather,  is  to  introduce  the 
lights  of  heaven  amongst  the  dark  shadows  of  earth,  that 
they  may  exhibit  to  man  the  whole  portraiture  of  his  posi- 
tion. Those  who  look  upon  the  completed  picture,  receive 
very  different  impressions  from  the  man  who  has  seen  it 
only  in  its  unfinished  state.  Indeed,  of  such  a  person,  we 
truly  remark  :  "  He  has  not  seen  the  picture !"  So,  in  like 
manner,  we  say :  "  Till  you  know  life  and  immortality 
brought  to  light  by  the  Gospel,  and  brought  to  your  own 
soul,  you  do  not  know  the  Gospel — you  do  not  understand 
the  Bible."  Judge  not  of  the  whole  by  a  part.  Conclude 
not  that  David  speaks  in  this  joyous  Psalm  only  of  melan- 
choly and  dispiriting  subjects,  because  he  has  here  alluded 
to  them  in  this  single  portion  of  it.  His  object  is  the  same 
with  the  entire  word  of  God — to  recall  our  attention  to  ex- 
isting facts,  that  we  may  more  gladly  welcome  the  counter- 
balancing truths.  See  how  he  rejoices  immediately  to  an- 
nounce them.  With  what  an  emphasis  does  that  word 
"  but"  fall  upon  our  ear — "  As  for  man  his  days  are  as  grass. 


EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — MERCY.       205 

BUT  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  is  from  everlasting  to  everlastinf^ 
upon  them  that  fear  Him." 

What  a  glorious  doctrine,  "  everlasting  mercy  !"  What 
marvellous  contrast  do  these  two  truths  present — "our 
momentary  life  !" — "  God's  everlasting  mercy."  Who  need 
hesitate,  or  fear,  to  contemplate  the  one,  that  can  fix  his  eye 
upon  the  other  ?  David  does  not  hesitate.  On  the  con- 
trary, the  consideration  of  the  brevity  of  liis  life,  gives  zest 
and  relish  to  his  soul  for  this  immortal  food,  this  all-sustain- 
ing truth,  that  "  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  endureth  forever  ;" 
and  the  more  he  ruminates  on  that  mercy,  the  more  unsatis- 
factory and  fleeting  does  his  earthly  existence  appear.  The 
one  doctrine  sends  him  back  to  the  other,  with  more  -vivid 
impressions  of  their  respective  reality  and  power.  It  is  as 
if  he  had  said,  "  Every  day  I  live,  I  feel  more  certainly  that 
my  life  is  but  a  passing  shadow.  Yesterday  I  was  not — to- 
day I  am — to-morrow  I  may  not  be.  But  the  mercy  of  my 
Lord  is  the  same  yesterday,  and  to-day,  and  for  ever.  It 
did  not  commence  with  my  existence  ;  and,  blessed  be  His 
name,  it  shall  not  terminate  with  it,  for  His  mercy  is  from 
everlasting  to  everlasting." 

Mark,  in  this  declaration  of  the  Psalmist,  how  he  invests 
the  mercy  of  the  Lord  with  an  eternal  character.  Of 
Jehovah,  it  is  said  :  "  Even  from  everlasting  to  everlasting 
Thou  art  God."  Psa.  xc.  2.  And  of  His  mercy,  it  is  here 
declared,  that  it  also  is  "  from  everlasting  to  everlasting." 
An  eternal  Being  must  have  corresponding  attributes. 
Mercy  is  not  a  mere  passing  sentiment,  but  an  everlasting 
principle  in  the  Divine  bosom.     Feeling,  apart  from  princi- 


206  EVEELASTING  BENEFITS — MERCY. 

pie,  has  no  existence  in  God.  Every  emotion  has  an  ade- 
quate, a  reasonable,  and  an  eternal  basis.  Mercy  was  not 
first  excited  in  the  Great  Creator  when  Adam  began  to 
breathe,  or  when  he  ceased  to  be  obedient ;  mercy  preceded 
man  in  his  innocence,  and  led  to  his  creation  :  it  is  "  from 
everlasting."  Mercy  followed  man  in  his  sin,  and  led  to  his 
redemption  :  it  is  "  to  everlasting."  There  never  was  a 
time  when  God  was  not  merciful ;  there  never  shall  be  a 
time  when  God  shall  not  be  merciful  to  them  that  fear  Him. 
It  assuredly  is  so,  for  God  has  said  it.  It  necessarily  must 
be  so,  for  it  is  God's  nature.  He  cannot  deny  Himself— he 
will  not  alter  His  principles. 

(     I   WAS   WHAT    I    WAS. 

His  name  is  )    ^  _ 

•<      I    AM    WHAT    I   AM. 

JEHOVAH 

^     I    WILL    BE    WHAT    I    WILL    BE. 

He  can  only  declare  His  Being  and  attributes.  "  I  lift  up 
my  hand  to  Heaven,  and  say,  I  live  for  ever."  Deut.  xxxii. 
40.  "  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning  and  the  ending, 
saith  the  Lord,  which  is,  and  which  was,  and  which  is  to 
come,  the  Almighty."  Rev.  i.  8,  This  glorious  truth  has 
been  the  joy  of  angels;  when  revealed,  it  became  the  joy 
of  saints.  All  the  inhabitants  of  heaven  unite  to  "  worship 
Him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever."  To  the  Triune  Jehovah, 
angels  and  archangels,  cherubim,  and  seraphim,  continually 
do  cry,  "  Holy,  holy,  holy.  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  was, 
and  is,  and  is  to  come."  All  the  saints  and  patriarchs  from 
the  beginning  found  this  blessed  doctrine  to  be  the  solace  of 
their  souls.  Abraham  called  upon  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
THE  EVERLASTING  GOD.  Gexi.  xxi.  33.     Moses  also  declared 


EVERLASTING   BKNKFITS — MERCY.  207 

to  all  Israel,  for  their  encouragement,  "  the  eternal  god  is 
thy  refuge,  and  underneath  are  the  everlasting  arms." 
Deut.  xxxxiii.  27.  The  Psalmist  thus  comforts  himself 
under  the  pressure  of  disease  and  the  expectation  of  disso- 
lution :  "  My  days  are  like  a  shadow  that  declineth  ;  and  I 
am  withered  like  grass  :  hut  thou,  O  Lord,  shalt  endure  for 
ever  ;  and  Thy  remembrance  unto  all  generations.  Of  old 
hast  Thou  laid  the  foundation  of  the  earth ;  and  the  heavens 
are  the  work  of  Thy  hands.  They  shall  perish,  but  Thou 
shalt  endure  ;  yea,  all  of  them  shall  wax  old  like  a  garment ; 
as  a  vesture  shalt  Thou  change  them,  and  they  shall  be 
changed  :  but  Thou  art  the  same,  and  Thy  years  shall  have 
no  end."  Psa.  cii.  11,  12,  25—27.  Isaiah  gladdened  the 
Church  by  declaring  that  this  should  be  a  special  name  and 
title  of  the  Pvedeemer :  the  Everlasting  Father,  or  Father 
of  the  everlasting  age.  Isa.  ix.  6.  By  the  same  argument 
he  calls  upon  all  believers  to  repose  with  continual  con- 
fidence upon  God,  saying,  "  Trust  ye  in  the  Lord  for  ever  : 
for  in  the  Lord  Jehovah  is  everlasting  strength  :"  xxvi.  4. 
And,  again,  by  it  He  both  chides  and^  comforts  God's  mur- 
muring people  :  "  Why  sayest  thou,  O  Jacob,  and  speakest, 
O  Israel,  my  way  is  hid  from  the  Lord,  and  my  judgment  is 
passed  over  from  my  God  ?  Hast  thou  not  known  1  hast 
thou  not  heard,  that  the  everlasting  God,  the  Lord,  the 
Creator  of  the  ends  of  the  earth,  fainteth  not,  neither  is 
weary  1  there  is  no  searching  of  His  understanding."  xl.  27, 
28.  He  adduces  this  doctrine  for  the  encouragement  of  the 
Israelites,  and  twice  over  assures  them  that  God  shall  be 
their  "everlasting  light."  Ix.   19,   20.     He  represents  also 


208  EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — MERCY. 

Gentile  believers  deriving  hope  from  the  same  unfailing 
source :  "  Doubtless  Thou  art  our  Father,  though  Abraham 
be  ignorant  of  us,  and  Israel  acknowledge  us  not :  Thou,  O 
Lord,  art  our  Father,  our  Redeemer ;  Thy  name  is  from 
EVERLASTING."  Ixiii.  16.  God  liimsclf  makcs  this  the  grouud 
of  a  most  gracious  declaration  to  all  that  fear  Him  :  "  For 
thus  saith  the  high  and  lofty  One  that  inhabiteth  eternity, 
whose  name  is  Holy  ;  I  dwell  in  the  high  and  holy  place, 
with  him  also  that  is  of  a  contrite  and  humble  spirit,  to  re- 
vive the  spirit  of  the  humble  and  to  revive  the  heart  of  the 
contrite  ones."  Isa.  Ivii.  15.  Jeremiah  rejoiced  to  testify 
that  Jehovah  is  the  true  God,  the  living  God,  and  an  ever- 
lasting King.  x.  10.  Micah  exulted  in  prophetic  vision,  and 
declared,  "  But  thou,  Bethlehem  Ephratah,  though  thou  be 
little  among  the  thousands  of  Judah,  yet  out  of  thee  shall 
He  come  forth  unto  me  that  is  to  be  Ruler  in  Israel ;  whose 
goings  forth  have  been  from  of  old,  from  everlasting."  v.  2. 
Habakkuk  also  desired  to  soothe  his  troubled  spirit  by  this 
consolatory  truth  :  "  Art  Thou  not  from  everlasting,  O  Lord 
my^  God,  mine  holy  Onel  we  shall  not  die."  i.  12.  St. 
Paul  teaches  us  that  all  creation  manifests  the  "  eternal 
power  and  Godhead  "  of  Jehovah.  Rom.  i.  20  ;  and  he  de- 
clares that  the  Gospel  is  to  be  made  known  to  all  nations 
according  to  the  commandment  of  the  "  everlasting  God." 
Rom.  xvi.  26.  To  this  effect,  also,  God  the  Father  and  God 
the  Son  give  their  united  testimony  :  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord, 
the  King  of  Israel,  and  his  Redeemer  the  Lord  of  hosts  ;  I 
am  the  first,  and  I  am  the  last,  and  beside  me  there  is  no 
God."    Isa.   xliv.   6.     And   St.    Paul  declares  that   it  was 


EVEELASTING  BENEFITS — MERCY.  209 

through  the  eternal  Spirit,  that  the  Redeemer  offered  Him- 
self without  spot  to  God.  Heb.  ix.  14.  Shall  we  not  then 
pour  forth  our  gratitude  and  praise  to  the  triune  and  glorious 
Jehovah,  saying,  "  Now  unto  the  King  eternal,  immortal, 
invisible,  the  only  ^vise  God,  be  honor  and  glory  for  ever  and 
ever,  Amen."  1  Tim.  i.  17. 

This  everlasting  God  not  only  thus  possesses  everlasting 
attributes,  but  He  also  bestows  everlasting  blessings.  He 
sends  the  "  everlasting  Gospel"  to  be  preached  "  unto  all 
them  that  dwell  on  the  earth."  Rev.  xiv.  6.  Therein  He 
freely  promises  "  everlasting  life"  to  all  them  that  believe. 
John  iii.  16.  And  therein  also  He  administers  "  everlasting 
consolation"  to  their  souls  under  all  their  troubles.  2Thess. 
ii.  1 6.  He  informs  them  that  He  has  laid  an  "  everlasting 
foundation"  in  Christ  Jesus,  Prov.  x.  25  ;  that  He  has  erect- 
ed, and  prepared  thereon  "  everlasting  habitations."  Luke 
xvi.  9.  And  that  to  these  He  has  gi-aciously  opened  an 
"  everlasting  way."  Psa.  cxxxix.  24.  And  how  great  so- 
ever may  be  their  difficulties,  or  numerous  their  foes,  yet  the 
Lord  delivers  His  people  by  an  "  eternal  redemption,"  Heb. 
ix.  12;  bequeaths  to  them  an  "eternal  inheritance,"  Heb. 
ix.  15  ;  and  makes  them  an  "  eternal  excellency."  Isa.  Ix. 
15.  The  everlasting  Redeemer  becomes  "the  Author  of 
eternal  salvation  to  all  them  that  obey  Him."  Heb.  v. 
9.  And  causes  all  things  to  work  out  for  them  "  a  far  more 
exceedinor,  even  an  eternal  weight  of  glory."  2  Cor.  iv.  17. 

"  Every  good  gift  and  every  perfect  gift  is  from  above, 
and  Cometh  down  from  the  Father  of  lights,  with  whom  is 
no  variableness,  neither  shadow  of  turning."     James  i.  17. 


210       EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — MERCY. 

God's  plans  and  purposes  are  not  short-sighted  and  vacillat- 
ing, like  those  of  men  ;  they  are  "  eternal  purposes."  Eph. 
iii.  11.  The  covenant  which  He  has  ratified  in  the  blood  of 
Jesus  is  "  an  everlasting  covenant."  Heb.  xiii.  20.  It  is 
"  ordered  in  all  things  and  sure."  2  Sam.  xxiii.  5,  The 
fountain  of  God's  love  is  eternal,  and  therefore  the  streams 
that  issue  from  it  are  everlasting :  "  The  Lord  hath  appeared 
of  old  unto  me,  saying.  Yea,  I  have  loved  thee  with  an  ever- 
lasting love :  therefore  with  loving-kindness  have  I  drawn 
thee."  Jer.  xxxi.  3.  There  is  nothing  in  us  by  nature  that 
can  attract  the  mercy  of  the  Lord.  If  it  originate  not  in 
His  own  bosom,  if  it  flow  not  forth  spontaneously  from  its 
own  fulness,  it  never  can  exist  at  all :  "  And  herein  God  com- 
mendeth  His  love  towards  us,  in  that  v/hile  we  were  yet 
siimers  Christ  died  for  us."  Rom.  v.  8.  We  deserved  His 
wrath ;  but  God,  says  the  Apostle,  is  "  rich  in  mercy,  for 
the  great  love  wherewith  He  loved  us,  even  when  we  were 
dead  in  sins."  Eph.  ii.  4.  His  mercy,  therefore,  is  "  from 
everlasting," — and,  blessed  be  His  name,  it  is  also  "  to  ever- 
lasting." "  God  is  not  a  man  that  He  should  lie,  nor  the  son 
of  man  that  He  should  repent."  Thy  God,  O  believer,  is 
an  unchanged,  an  unchanging,  and  an  unchangeable  Friend. 
A  mother  may  forget  her  only  child,  yet  will  not  the  Lord 
forget  them  that  fear  Him.  The  mercy  of  the  Lord,  prom- 
ised in  His  word,  is  "  from  everlasting  to  everlasting"  to- 
wards you.  It  is  an  over-abounding,  and  an  ever-abounding 
mercy.  It  passes  understanding ;  having  length  without 
termination,  depth  without  bottom,  height  without  summit, 
and  breadth  without  bound.     Go  back  into  ages  past,  you 


EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — MKRCY.  211 

cannot  reach  its  beginning.  Go  forward  into  ages  to  come, 
you  cannot  reach  its  end.  It  is  immeasurable,  unfathomable, 
insurmountable,  incomprehensible.  And  why  is  it  thus  four- 
fold in  perfection  ?  Because  it  is  "  from  everlasting  to  ever- 
lasting." 

To  whom  does  the  Lord  show  this  amazing  mercy  1  To 
them  that  "  fear"  Him.  "  Surely  I  know,"  said  the  wisest 
of  men,  "  that  it  shall  be  well  with  them  that  fear  God,  which 
fear  before  Him."  Eccles.  viii.  12.  This  is  the  third  time 
that  David  in  this  Psalm  has  mentioned  this  special  charac- 
acteristic  of  God's  people.  And  why  should  "fear"  form 
one  of  their  grand  distinctive  qualities  ?  Because  it  was  one 
of  the  characteristic  marks  of  their  Divine  Head.  It  was 
foretold  of  Jesus,  in  most  remarkable  language,  "  The  Spirit 
of  knowledge  and  of  the  fear  of  the  Lord,"  shall  rest  upon 
Him,  "  and  make  Him  of  quick  understanding  in  the  fear 
of  the  Lord."  Isa.  xi.  2.  The  same  Spirit  in  measure  rests 
upon  all  the  family  of  God.  This  constitutes  their  most 
prominent  feature,  their  universal  family  likeness.  Among 
the  children  of  the  Lord  there  are  not  a  'few  timid  and  de- 
sponding souls.  They  cannot  satisfy  themselves  that  they 
love  God,  or  that  they  glorify  their  Saviour,  or  that  they  are 
born  again  of  His  Spirit.  Many  anxious  questionings  on 
these  points  rise  often  within  their  breasts.  But  here  is  a 
point  on  which  there  can,  and  must,  be  no  doubt.  Every 
child  of  God  ought  to  be  able  to  declare,  at  least  thus  much 
regarding  himself,  that  he  "  fears"  God,  that  he  would  trem- 
ble to  offend  Him,  that  he  w^ould  hesitate,  and  refuse,  to  do 
that  which  he  knew  to  be  contrary  to  His  holy  will.     None 


212  EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — MERCY. 

but  the  most  hardened  of  rebels  would  venture  to  utter  an 
opposite  sentiment,  and  say,  "  I  am  not  afraid  to  offend  God." 
It  is  not,  however,  by  the  profession  of  the  lips,  but  by  the 
direction  of  the  life,  that  we  are  to  judge  whether  this  true 
fear  of  God  is  implanted  in  our  hearts.  Many  say  that  they 
fear  God.  The  wicked  are  afraid  of  God,  yet  they  do  not 
"  fear"  Him.  The  devils  tremble  at  His  presence,  yet  they 
do  not  "  fear"  Him.  Multitudes  of  professing  Christians 
show  by  their  daily  conduct,  that  they  are  not  afraid  to  of- 
fend Him.  They  appear  to  live  for  themselves — fulfilling 
the  desires  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  mind.  They  do  not  seem 
to  make  this  a  subject  of  earnest  questioning  and  self-exam- 
ination.— "  Is  the  thing  I  am  now  about  to  do  pleasing,  or 
displeasing,  to  God?  Is  it  agreeable  or  contrary  to  His 
word  ?"  Such  inquiries,  it  is  to  be  apprehended,  are  as  un- 
frequent  to  their  minds,  as  they  are  unwelcome  to  their 
hearts.  To  the  man,  however,  who  fears  God,  this  is  neither 
a  strange  nor  a  disagreeable  question.  He  sincerely  desires 
to  please  and  to  glorify  his  Redeemer  in  all  things,  and  there- 
fore he  fears  to  displease  Him  in  thought,  or  word,  or  deed. 
Nor  can  it  be  too  often  repeated,  that  this  fear  is  not  a  slav- 
ish dread,  but  a  filial  aflTection.  Every  right-hearted  child 
is  afraid  to  offend  his  parents,  and  yet  he  is  not  afraid  of  his 
parents.  The  two  sentiments  are  quite  distinct.  We  may 
not  in  the  least  be  afraid  of  a  father,  and  yet  be  all  the  more 
afraid  to  grieve  him. 

This  distinction  ought  carefully  to  be  borne  in  inind  in  the 
perusal  of  the  sacred  Scriptures.  There  the  word  "  fear"  is 
employed  in  the  two  opposite  senses  of  slavish  dread  and  of 


EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — MERCY.  213 

filial  reverence  :  The  Apostles  desire  to  exclude  the  former 
kind  of  fear  from  the  hearts  of  all  God's  children  :  "  We 
have  not  received,"  says  St.  Paul,  "  the  spirit  of  bondage 
again  to  fear ;  but  we  have  received  the  Spirit  of  adoption, 
whereby  we  cry  Abba,  Father."  Rom.  viii.  15.  And  St. 
John  testifies,  "  There  is  no  fear  in  love ;  but  perfect  love 
casteth  out  fear  :  because  fear  hath  torment.  He  that  fear- 
eth  is  not  made  perfect  in  love."  1  John  iv.  18.  It  is 
this  tormenting  fear — it  is  this  servile  dread,  which  the 
Apostles  so  strongly  condemn.  ^ 

The  "  fear  of  the  Lord,"  on  the  other  hand,  of  which  the 
Psalmist  here  speaks,  is  his  treasure.  Isa.  xxxiii.  6.  It  is 
the  beginning  of  wisdom.  Pro  v.  ix.  10  ;  it  is  a  fountain  of 
life,  Prov.  xiv.  27  ;  it  imparts  strong  confidence,  Prov.  xiv. 
26.  "The  Lord  taketh  pleasure  in  them  that  fear  Him." 
Psa.  cxlvii.  11.  He  will  bless  them.  Psa.  cxv.  13.^  He 
will  fulfil  their  desires.  Psa.  cxlv.  19.  "His  mercy  is  on 
them  that  fear  Him  from  generation  to  generation."  Luke 
i.  50.  Well,  therefore,  might  the  Psalmist  say,  "  Oh  fear 
the  Lord,  ye  His  saints,  for  there  is  no  want  to  them  that 
fear  Him."     Psa.  xxxiv.  9. 

The  "  mercy"  of  the  Lord  to  His  children  is  "  everlasting" 
in  its  duration,  and  we  rejoice  to  learn  that  their  filial  "  fear" 
toward  Him  is  "  everlasting"  also  :  "  They  shall  be  my  peo- 
ple, saith  the  Lord,  and  I  -will  be  their  God  :  and  I  will  give 
them  one  heart,  and  one  way,  that  they  may  fear  me  for 
EVER,  for  the  good  of  them,  and  of  their  children  after  them  : 
and  I  will  make  an  everlasting  covenant  with  them,  that  I 
will  not  turn  away  from  them,  to  do  them  good ;  but  I  will 


214  EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — MERCY. 

put  MY  FEAR  m  THEIR  HEARTS,  THAT    THEY  SHALL  NOT  DEPART 

FROM  ME."  Jer.  xxxii.  38 — 40.  Blessed  covenant !  Who 
would  not  wish  to  be  included  in  its  provisions  1  Who  will 
refuse  to  join  in  earnest  supplication  for  himself  and  others, 
"  O  Lord,  who  never  failest  to  help  and  govern  them  whom 
Thou  dost  bring  up  in  Thy  steadfast  fear  and  love  ;  keep  us, 
we  beseech  Thee,  under  the  protection  of  Thy  good  provi- 
dence, and  make  us  to  have  a  perpetual  fear  and  love  of  Thy 
holy  name ;  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen." 

But  art  thou  often  sad,  O  Fearer  of  the  Lord,  by  reason 
of  thy  unworthiness  1  Canst  thou  scarcely  realize  that  this 
everlasting  mercy  is  thy  everlasting  portion  1  Do  torment- 
ing fears  beset  thy  spirit?  And  instead  of  the  light  of 
God's  countenance,  do  clouds  and  darkness  appear  to  sur- 
round His  throne,  so  that  thy  prayers  do  not  pierce  through 
to  Him,  nor  His  favor  shine  forth  to  thee  1  Has  thy  soul 
been  desolate,  and  in  widowhood  of  feeling,  as  if  bereft  for 
ever  of  consolation  1  And  art  thou  tempted  to  question  in 
despondency,  like  Asaph,  "  Will  the  Lord  cast  off  for  ever  ? 
and  will  He  be  favorable  no  more  1  Is  His  mercy  clean 
gone  for  ever  ?  doth  His  promise  fail  for  evermore  1  Hath 
God  forgotten  to  be  gracious  1  hath  He  in  anger  shut  up  His 
tender  mercies  ?"  Psa.  Ixxvii.  7 — 9.  Check  thyself  imme- 
diately as  he  did,  and  acknowledge,  "  This  is  my  infirmity  ; 
but  I  will  remember  the  years  of  the  right  hand  of  the  Most 
High."  Yes,  thou  afflicted,  tossed  with  tempest,  and  not 
comforted,  remember  thy  Redeemer.  In  the  days  of  His 
flesh  He  offered  up  prayers  and  supplications,  with  strong 
crying  and  tears,  unto  Him  that  was  able  to  save  Him  from 


EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — MERCY.  215 

death,  and  He  was  heard  in  that  He  feared.  Heb.  v.  7. 
Thou  also  fearest  God,  thou  also  shalt  be  heard.  Thank  God 
that  thou  fearest  Him  at  all,  and  thou  shalt  fear  Him  yet 
more.  Yea,  thou  shalt  love  Him  and  praise  Him.  There- 
fore "  fear  not ;  for  thou  shalt  not  be  ashamed :  neither  be 
thou  confounded ;  for  thou  shalt  not  be  put  to  shame :  for 
thou  shalt  forget  the  shame  of  thy  youth,  and  shalt  not  re- 
member the  reproach  of  thy  widowhood  any  more.  For  thy 
Maker  is  thine  Husband,  the  Lord  of  hosts  is  His  name ; 
and  thy  Redeemer  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;  the  God  of  the 
whole  earth  shall  He  be  called.  *  *  *  For  a  small  mo- 
ment have  I  forsaken  thee ;  but  with  great  mercies  will  I 
gather  thee.  In  a  little  wrath,  I  hid  my  face  from  thee  for  a 
moment ;  but  with  everlasting  kindness  will  I  have  mercy 
on  thee,  saith  the  Lord  thy  Redeemer.  *  *  *  For  the 
mountains  shall  depart,  and  the  hills  be  removed ;  but  my 
kindness  shall  not  depart  from  thee,  neither  shall  the  cove- 
nant of  my  peace  be  removed,  saith  the  Lord  that  hath 
mercy  on  thee."     Isa.  liv.  4 — 10. 

O  what  a  blessed,  what  a  comprehensive  word  is  "  mercy !" 
Clemency  and  bounty,  grace  and  compassion ;  every  kind, 
and  tender,  and  interested,  feeling  in  the  heart  of  God ;  and 
every  manner  of  blessing  and  benefit  flowing  in  consequence 
from  His  hand, — All  this  is  mercy  : — Mercy  from  God — 
Mercy  to  a  sinner — to  an  enemy — to  a  rebel !  Who  can 
rightly  speak  of  mercy  ? — who,  then,  can  rightly  speak  or 
think  of  everlasting  mercy  ?  The  poor  sinner  pitied,  par- 
doned,  blessed,  all  his  life-long  unceasingly  in  time,  and  all 
his  lifelong  unceasingly  through  eternity, — this   is  ever- 


216  EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — MERCY. 

LASTING  MERCY.      Who   caii    cver    sufficiently  thank    and 
praise    and    bless    our    covenant    God    for    everlasting 

MERCY  1 

Wondrous  subject  for  eternal  praises — the  everlasting 
kindness  of  the  Triune  Jehovah!  Amazing  covenant  of 
endless  mercy  1  Time  cannot  terminate  it.  Death  cannot 
dissolve  it.  Satan  cannot  destroy  it.  The  unchanging  and 
unchangeable  covenant  of  love  is  established  by  the  oath  of 
the  Father,  is  ratified  by  the  blood  of  the  Son,  and  is  se- 
cured by  the  seal  of  the  Eternal  Spirit.  Oh,  this  is  joy 
above  joys.  It  is  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory.  It  is  an 
ecstasy  of  gladness  to  my  soul.  It  furnishes  me  with  a  new 
song, — an  everlasting  song  of  gratitude  and  praise.  The 
"  Lord  of  Hosts,"  the  "  God  of  the  whole  earth,"  covenants 
that  He  will  have  "  everlasting  mercy"  upon  His  people, 
and  that  they  "  shall  fear  Him  for  ever !" — The  Lord  Jesus, 
my  "  Maker,"  my  "  Kedeemer,"  the  "  Husband"  of  my  soul, 
doth  covenant  that  I  shall  "  not  depart"  from  Him,  and  that 
He  will  "  never  turn  away"  from  me !  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O 
my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within  me  bless  His  holy  name. 
Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  His  benefits  ; 
— For  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  is  from  everlasting  to  ever- 
lasting upon  them  that  fear  Him."  Therefore  "  Blessed  be 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel  from  everlasting,  and  to  everlasting. 
Amen,  and  Amen."  Psa.  xli.  13.  "  O  give  thanks  unto 
the  Lord,  for  He  is  good  ;  for  His  mercy  endureth  for  ever. 
O  give  thanks  unto  the  God  of  gods  :  for  His  mercy  endur- 
eth for  ever.  O  give  thanks  to  the  Lord  of  lords :  for  His 
mercy  endureth  for  ever.     Who   remembered  us  in  oua 


EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — MERCY.  217 

LOW  ESTATE  :  FOR  HiS  MERCY  ENDURETH  FOR  EVER.  AnD 
HATH  REDEEMED  US  FROM  OUR  ENEMIES  :  FOR  HiS  MERCY 
ENDURETH  FOR  EVER.  O  GIVE  THANKS  UNTO  THE  GoD  OF 
HEAVEN  :     FOR     HiS     MERCY     ENDURETH      FOR     EVER.         Psa. 

cxxxvi.  1—4,  23—26. 

10 


XIV. 

The  mercy  of  the  Lord  is  from  everlasting  to  everlastring  upon 
them  that  fear  Him,  and  His  righteousness  unto  children's  chil- 
dren ;  to  such  as  keep  His  covenant,  and  to  those  that  rem.emher 
His  commandments  to  do  them.. — Verses  17,   18. 

The  term  "  righteousness"  is  applied  to  the  Most  High  in 
Holy  Scripture,  in  various  senses ;  but  principally  to  God 
the  Father  in  His  invariable  rectitude  as  a  Euler,  and  to  God 
the  Son  in  His  perfect  obedience  as  a  surety.  The  former 
is  eternal — "  from  everlasting  to  everlasting."  The  latter, 
being  accomplished  in  the  time  of  Christ's  earthly  life,  is 
strictly  "  to  everlasting" — as  the  Psalmist  here  expresses  it, 
"unto  children's  children."  The  effects  of  that  righteous- 
ness, however,  are  equally  applicable  to  all  who  lived  before, 
as  to  all  who  lived,  or  shall  live,  after  it  was  finished.  That 
righteousness  is  as  absolutely  necessary  for  the  salvation  of 
the  former,  as  of  the  latter ;  and  we  may  justly  consider 
the  Psalmist  to  speak  here  of  "  righteousness"  equally  with 
the  "  mercy"  of  the  Lord,  as  "  from  everlasting  to  everlast- 
ing upon  them  that  fear  Him,"  as  well  as  unto  tlieir  "  chil- 
dren's children  ;"  for  the  Scripture  testifies  of  the  Lord  Je- 
sus, that  He  is  "  the  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world."     Rev.  xiii.  8. 


EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — RIGHTEOUSNESS.      219 

The  rectitude  of  Jehovah's  government  stands  as  a  funda- 
mental doctrine  to  the  whole  volume  of  inspiration.  The 
Law,  the  Histories,  the  Psalms,  the  Proverbs,  the  Prophe- 
cies, the  Gospels,  the  Epistles,  and  the  book  of  Revelation, 
all  maintain  the  wisdom,  the  integrity,  and  the  benevolence 
of  the  King,  who  ruleth  in  the  armies  of  heaven,  and  among 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth.  Dan.  iv.  35.  It  is  the  province 
of  faith  to  maintain  this  doctrine  in  the  face  of  all  appear- 
ances to  the  contrary,  and  in  opposition  to  all  the  cavillings 
of  men.  If  we  yield  to  these,  we  possess  no  true  faith  in 
God.  The  question  of  Abraham,  "  Shall  not  the  Judge  of 
all  the  earth,  do  right  f  Gen.  xviii.  25,  lies  at  the  founda- 
tion of  all  our  present  peace,  and  of  all  our  future  hopes. 
If  it  once  be  even  conceived  in  thought  that  the  High  and 
Holy  One,  in  any,  the  slightest,  particular,  ever  deviated 
from  the  path  of  strictest  rectitude,  immediately  our  relig- 
ion is  overthrown,  our  confidence  is  shaken,  our  misery  is 
commenced,  the  sun  is  fallen  from  the  moral  heavens,  and 
gross  darkness  envelopes  us  on  every  side.  But  God  forbid 
the  thought.  The  very  supposition  is  abhorrent  to  the  mind. 
"  Let  God  be  true,  and  every  man  a  liar."  There  is  no  un- 
righteousness with  Him.  The  day  is  coming  when  each 
man's  apparently  tangled  web  of  life,  shall  appear  to  have 
been  wound  up  rightly  to  its  minutest  thread.  Tlie  loom 
of  time,  with  all  its  perplexing  machinery,  is  working  out 
one  grand  design,  to  be  displayed  through  all  eternity  ;  and 
angels,  with  archangles,  and  the  Lord's  redeemed,  will  gaze 
thereon  with  holy  admiration ;  and  the  harpers  of  heaven, 
when  they  behold  it,  will  sing  this  song  of  JNIoses  and  the 


220       EVEKLASTING  BENEFITS — EIGHTEOUSNESS. 

Lamb  :  "  Great  and  marvellous  are  Thy  works,  Lord  God 
Almighty ;  just  and  true  are  Thy  ways,  thou  King  of 
saints."  Rev.  xv.  3. 

If  ever,  Eeader,  when  trials  beset,  and  perplexities  sur- 
round thee,  when  disappointments  befall,  and  expectations 
are  thwarted,  thou  feelest  tempted  to  question  the  allot- 
ments of  Providence,  and  to  be  envious  at  the  prosperity  of 
others,  remember  that  danger  is  very  near  thy  soul.  Thou 
standest  on  slippery  and  forbidden  ground.  Asaph  confesses 
that  when  he  ventured  to  tread  thereon,  his  "  feet  were  al- 
most gone,  his  steps  had  well-nigh  slipped."  But  he  hastily 
retreated.  He  turned  away  his  eyes  from  the  further  con- 
templation of  the  chequered  scenes  of  earth.  He  went  into 
the  sanctuary  to  gain  fresh  instruction,  and  the  result  was, 
that  he  became  thoroughly  ashamed  of  his  murmuring 
thoughts.  His  conscience  smote  him,  and  he  felt  self-con- 
demned. He  grieved  that  he  should  have  given  way,  even 
for  a  moment,  to  entertain  the  slightest  doubt  of  the  recti- 
tude of  God's  dispensations.  And,  therefore,  at  the  very 
commencement  of  his  seventy-third  Psalm,  he  gives  this 
emphatic  testimony  against  all  gainsayers  :  "  Truly  God  is 
good  to  Israel,  even  to  such  as  are  of  a  clean  heart."  Bear 
thou  similar  testimony  to  thy  own  tempted  spirit,  and 
against  all  the  questionings  of  others.  Begin  every  argu- 
ment by  saying  with  Asaph :  "  Truly  God  is  good ;"  and 
shut  up  every  argument  by  saying  again  with  him :  "  It  is 
good  for  me  to  hold  me  fast  by  God,  to  put  my  trust  in  the 
Lord  God." — Last  verse,  Prayer-book  version. 

"  The  Lord  reigneth,  let  the  earth  rejoice."     Clouds  and 


EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — RIGHTEOUSNESS.        221 

darkness  may  be  round  about  Him,  but  "  righteousness  and 
judgment  are  the  basis  of  His  throne."  Psa.  xcvii.  1.  Hold 
fast,  therefore,  by  God.  Retain  to  thy  dying  hour  this  all- 
important  truth  of  the  righteousness  of  thy  heavenly  Father. 
Never  let  it  go ;  for  "  this  is  the  victory  that  overcometh 
the  world,  even  our  faith"  in  God.  "  Though  thy  fig-tree 
do  not  blossom,  nor  fruit  be  in  thy  vines  ;  though  thy  olives 
should  fail,  and  thy  fields  yield  no  meat ;  though  the  flock 
be  cut  off  from  thy  folds,  and  there  be  no  herd  in  thy  stalls ;" 
yea,  and  though  every  one  of  these  should  prosper  abui> 
dantly  with  thy  neighbor,  yet  hold  fast  this  truth,  "  the  Lord 
is  righteous  in  all  His  ways,  and  holy  in  all  His  works ;" 
and  then,  with  the  tried,  but  triumphant  Prophet,  thou  also 
shalt  be  enabled  to  add  :  "  Yet  I  will  rejoice  in  the  Lord  ; 
I  will  joy  in  the  God  of  my  salvation."  Hab.  iii.  17,  18. 

The  second  meaning  of  this  term,  "  righteousness,"  may 
be  considered  as  that  which  the  Psalmist  has  here  more  es- 
pecially in  view — the  perfected  obedience  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
as  a  Surety,  thus  foretold  by  the  prophet  Daniel :  "  He 
shall  bring  in  everlasting  righteousness."  Dan.  ix.  24.  The 
words  are  remarkable.  To  "  bring  in,"  implies  that  it  was 
new — that  no  such  thing  had  been  seen  on  earth  before  as 
an  "  everlasting  righteousness."  The  goodness,  or  innocence, 
of  our  first  parents  in  the  garden  of  Eden,  soon  gave  way 
before  temptation — it  was  not  everlasting.  The  goodness 
of  all  the  children  of  men  is  but  as  the  morning  cloud,  and 
as  the  early  dew  it  passeth  away.  There  is  no  everlasting 
righteousness  but  that  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  volun- 
tarily condescended  to  be  born  under  the  Law,  and  to  render 


222        EVEKLASTING   BENEFITS — RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

to  all  its  requirements  a  complete  and  perfect  obedience. 
The  first  Adam  dishonored  the  Law  of  God,  and  Jesus,  the 
second  Adam,  "  magnified  the  Law,  and  made  it  honorable." 
As  a  Divine  Person  in  human  form  rendering  it  obedience, 
He  exalted  that  Law  immeasurably,  so  that  "  the  Lord  is 
well  pleased  for  His  righteousness'  sake."  Isa.  xlii.  2L  He 
was  perfectly  holy  in  His  own  nature,  and  needed  no  right- 
eous acts  whatsoever  for  His  own  benefit.  But  it  was  for 
our  benefit,  and  for  the  glory  of  the  Lawgiver,  that  He  ful- 
filled each  iota  and  tittle  of  that  Law.  Every  thought  of 
His  heart  was  in  full  accordance  with  its  holiness.  Every 
word  of  His  lips  was  in  perfect  harmony  with  its  justice. 
Every  action  of  His  life  was  in  complete  fulfilment  of  its 
benevolence.  And  thus  He  demonstrated  to  the  universe, 
that  the  Law  which  the  devil  had  impugned,  and  which  man 
had  broken,  was  "  holy,  and  just,  and  good."  Rom.  vii.  12. 
A  perfect  man  had  never  appeared  on  earth  after  Adam  fell ; 
and  therefore  a  perfect  righteousness  had  never  been  pre- 
sented to  the  Divine  Lawgiver  by  any  in  human  form.  But 
at  length  Christ,  the  perfect  man,  appeared  on  earth,  and 
presented  a  complete  and  perfect  righteousness  unto  God. 
He  rendered  an  undeviating  obedience  to  His  Law,  and  so 
"  brought  in"  an  everlasting  righteousness  into  the  world. 
And  since  He  ascended  into  heaven,  there  has  not  been 
found  another  born  of  woman,  fulfilling,  like  Him,  the  whole 
law  of  righteousness.  "All  have  sinned,"  as  before,  so 
afler,  Christ,  "  and  come  short  of  the  glory  of  God  "  ;  and 
"  Christ  is  the  end  "  the  grand  and  only  end,  "  of  the  law, 


EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — RIGHTEOUSNESS.        223 

for  righteousness  to  every  one  that  believeth."  Rom.  iii.  23. 
and  X.  4. 

The  righteousness  of  the  Lord  Jesus  is  declared  hy  the 
inspired  pen  both  of  Daniel  and  of  David,  to  be  "  ever- 
lasting :"  and  that  it  must  be  so,  in  its  very  nature,  is  abun- 
dantly evident.  Was  it  not  wrought  out  by  a  Divine 
Person  ? — Was  it  not  perfected  according  to  an  everlasting 
standard  ? — And  is  it  not  laid  by  God  as  the  only  ground  of 
human  salvation,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  time  1 
The  efficacy  of  the  obedience  of  the  Lord  Jesus  endures 
throughout  all  ages.  The  world  shall  perish,  but  the  right- 
eousness of  Christ  perisheth  not.  Time  shall  terminate,  but 
the  righteousness  of  the  Redeemer  shall  see  no  end.  Its 
fragrance  will  continue  for  ever.  Its  leaf  will  be  green,  and 
its  fruit  will  be  sweet  throughout  all  eternity.  This  glorious 
truth,  the  inspired  Prophet  most  emphatically  declares, 
"  The  work  of  righteousness  shall  be  peace,  and  the  effect 
of  righteousness  quietness  and  assurance  for  ever."  Isa.  xxxii. 
17.  Clothed  in  this  righteousness,  the  saints  of  God  will 
appear  before  His  throne  without  a  single  spot  or  stain. 
Immaculate  in  this  righteousness,  they  can  never  again  be 
sullied,  but  they  will  be  without  fault  for  ever  and  for  ever- 
more. Realizing  this  blessed  condition  as  his  present  priv- 
ilege, the  Prophet  Isaiah  thus  gives  utterance  to  the  full 
ecstasy  of  joy  which  it  had  awakened  in  his  heart :  "  I  will 
greatly  rejoice  in  the  Lord,  my  soul  shall  be  joyful  in  my 
God ;  for  He  hath  clothed  me  with  the  garments  of  salva- 
tion. He  hath  covered  me  with  the  robe  of  righteousness, 
as  a  bridegroom  decketh  himself  with  ornaments,  and  as  a 


224        EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

bride  adorneth  herself  with  her  jewels."  Isa.  Ixi.  10.  David 
also  joyfully  declares,  "  My  mouth  shall  show  forth  Thy 
righteousness  and  Thy  salvation  all  the  day  ;  for  I  know  not 
the  numbers  thereof.  I  will  go  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord 
God :  I  will  make  mention  of  Thy  righteousness,  even  of 
Thine  only."  Psa.  Ixxi.  15,  16.  And  St.  Paul  exclaims, 
"  What  things  were  gain  to  me,  those  I  counted  loss  for 
Christ.  Yea,  doubtless,  and  I  coimt  all  things  but  loss  for 
the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord  : 
for  whom  I  have  suffered  the  loss  of  all  things,  and  do  count 
them  but  dung,  that  I  may  win  Christ,  and  be  found  in 
Him,  not  having  mine  own  righteousness,  which  is  of  the 
law,  but  that  which  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ,  the  right- 
eousness which  is  of  God  by  faith."  Phil.  iii.  7 — 9, 

To  renounce  our  own  fancied  righteousness,  and  to  accept 
the  everlasting  righteousness  of  Christ,  is  one  of  the  hardest 
lessons  of  the  Gospel.  Man  tenaciously  clings  to  the  idea 
of  his  own  merits.  He  cannot  conceive  why,  or  how,  he  is 
to  be  saved  by  the  merits  of  another.  Yet  this  is  the  great 
Scripture  doctrine, — salvation  by  imputed  righteousness. 
"  By  the  obedience  of  One  shall  many  be  made  righteous." 
Eom.  V.  13.  How  can  it  be  "  unto  children's  children,"  but 
by  God's  gracious  imputation  of  it  to  each  of  them  person- 
ally, as  they  appear  in  their  successive  generations  ?  This 
glorious  doctrine,  wherever  we  turn  upon  that  perfect  globe 
of  truth,  the  Holy  Bible,  is  to  be  seen  shining  with  meridian 
brightness  in  both  hemispheres — the  Old  and  the  New  Tes- 
taments. In  the  Old  Testament  the  Messiah  is  thus  fore- 
UAd  :  "  Unto  you  that  fear  my  name  shall  the  Sun  of  right- 


EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — RIGHTEOUSNESS.        225 

eousncss  arise,  with  healing  in  His  wings,"  or  rays.  Mai.  iv. 
2.  And  "  This  is  His  name  whereby  He  shall  be  called, 
The  Lord  our  Righteousness."  Jer.  xxiii.  6.  And  therefore, 
of  each  of  His  believing  people  it  is  affirmed,  "  Surely  shall 
one  say,  In  the  Lord  have  I  righteousness  and  strength."  Isa. 
xlv.  24.  In  the  New  Testament  it  is  expressly  written,  that 
"  The  righteousness  of  God  which  is  by  faith  of  Jesus  Christ, 
is  unto  all,  and  upon  all,  them  that  believe."  Rom.  iii.  22. 
And  therefore,  who  can  sufficiently  describe  the  "  blessed- 
ness of  the  man,  to  whom  the  Lord  imputeth  righteousness 
without  works"  ?  Rom.  iv.  6. 

This  "  blessedness"  is  freely  bestowed  on  all  who  fear  and 
obey  God.  Those  who  do  not  fear  to  offend  Him,  who 
regulate  their  lives  only  by  their  own  v/ishes  and  desires, 
having  no  design  to  please  their  heavenly  Master,  possess 
neither  part  nor  lot  in  this  imputed  and  everlasting  righteous- 
ness. Those,  however,  who  by  grace,  retain  a  reverential 
remembrance  of  the  Omnipresent  God,  who  fear  to  act  con- 
trary to  His  holy  will,  and  who  entertain  a  child-like  desire 
to  please  Him  as  a  Father  in  all  things,  through  Jesus  Christ, 
such  obedient  believers  have  full  warrant  to  appropriate,  and 
to  enjoy,  the  mercy  and  the  righteousness  of  the  Lord,  as 
their  present  portion  and  their  everlasting  inheritance. 

The  believer  possesses  the  happy  assurance  that  these 
blessings  are  free,  not  only  to  his  o^^ii  soul,  but  also  to  the 
souls  of  his  children  after  him.  The  covenant  which  God 
made  with  Abraham,  was  thus  secured  to  his  descendants  in 
the  Jewish  Church  :  "  I  will  be  a  God  unto  thee,  and  to  thy 
seed  after  thee."  Gen.  xvii.  7.  This  covenant  was  ratified 
10'^ 


226       EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — RiaHTEOUSNESS. 

in  Christ  with  equal  fuhiess  to  the  Gentile  Church :  "  The 
promise  is  unto  you  and  to  your  children."  Acts  ii.  39. 
Great  is  the  joy  which  this  assurance  imparts  to  the  believ- 
ing parent.  His  children,  he  learns,  are  graciously  included 
in  the  same  covenant  with  himself.  He  therefore  feels  em- 
boldened to  plead  on  their  behalf  before  that  gracious  God 
who  has  said,  "  I  will  pour  my  Spirit  upon  thy  seed,  and  my 
blessing  upon  thine  offspring."  Isa.  xliv.  4.  Therefore,  he 
feels  intensely  solicitous  to  train  up  his  children  in  the  nur- 
ture and  admonition  of  the  Lord ;  and  longs  and  labors  as- 
siduously that  both  he  himself,  and  all  who  belong  to  him, 
yea,  and  "  his  children's  children,"  may  be  such  as  "  keep 
His  covenant,  and  remember  His  commandments  to  do 
them." 

This  declaration  proves  that  the  "  fear"  here  spoken  of  by 
the  Psalmist,  is  not  an  idle,  inoperative,  sentiment  in  the 
breast,  but  a  powerfully  influential,  and  active  principle  in 
the  life.  Those  who  "  fear  God,"  not  only  know,  but  "  keep 
His  covenant ;"  they  not  only  remember  His  commandments 
to  repeat  them,but  they  "  remember  His  commandments  to 
do  them."  True  believers  both  sincerely  desire,  and  ear- 
nestly endeavor  to  please  God.  They  strive  to  yield  an  un- 
remitting obedience  to  all  His  injunctions.  They  love  the 
Lord  their  God  with  all  their  heart,  they  delight  to  serve 
Him  with  all  their  soul.  The  words  which  He  commands 
them  they  teach  diligently  to  their  children ;  and  by  their 
example,  as  well  as  by  their  precepts,  they  labor  to  train  up 
every  one  of  them  in  the  way  in  which  they  should  go. 

The  encomium  pronounced  upon  Abraham  by  God  Him- 


EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — RIGHTEOUSNESS.       227 

self  was  this  :  "  I  know  him  that  he  will  command  his  chil 
dren  and  his  household  after  him,  and  they  shall  keep  the 
way  of  the  Lord,  to  do  justice  and  judgment."  Gen.  xviii. 
19.  And  to  the  obedience  of  some  of  his  "  children's  chil- 
dren," this  remarkable  testimony  is  given  in  the  case  of  Mo- 
ses and  of  Joshua :  "  As  the  Lord  commanded  Moses  his 
servant,  so  did  Moses  command  Joshua,  and  so  did  Joshua ; 
he  left  nothing  undone  of  all  that  the  Lord  commanded  Mo- 
ses."    Josh.  xi.  15. 

"  All  the  paths  of  the  Lord  are  mercy  and  truth  unto 
such  as  keep  His  covenant  and  His  testimonies."  Psa.  xxv. 
10.  The  promise  is  as  gracious  as  it  is  explicit :  "  Train  up 
a  child  in  the  way  he  should  go :  and  when  he  is  old,  he  will 
not  depart  from  it."  Prov.  xxii,  6.  It  is  to  be  expected 
that  children  will  walk  in  the  ways  of  their  fathers,  as  said 
our  Lord :  "  If  ye  were  Abraham's  children,  ye  would  do 
the  works  of  Abraham."  John  viii.  39.  Therefore  the 
promises  are  given,  with  a  similar  condition  to  David's  :  "  If 
thy  children  will  keep  my  covenant  and  my  testimony  that 
I  shall  teach  them,  their  children  shall  also  sit  upon  thy 
throne  for  evermore."  Psa.  cj^xxii.  12.  God  said  unto 
Abraham,  "  Thou  shalt  keep  my  covenant,  thou  and  thy  seed 
after  thee,  in  their  generations."  Gen.  xvii.  9.  With  pe- 
culiar emphasis  did  God  re-deliver  this  covenant  on  Mount 
3inai,  saying  unto  Moses,  "  Thus  shalt  thou  say  to  the  house 
of  Jacob,  and  tell  the  children  of  Israel :  Ye  have  seen  what 
I  did  unto  the  Egyptians,  and  how  I  bare  you  on  eagle's 
wings,  and  brought  you  unto  myself.  Now,  therefore,  if  ye 
will  obey  my  voice  indeed,  and  keep  my  covenant,  then  ye 


228       EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

shall  be  a  peculiar  treasure  unto  me  above  all  people :  for 
all  the  earth  is  mine  :  and  ye  shall  be  unto  me  a  kingdom 
of  priests,  and  an  holy  nation.  These  are  the  words  which 
thou  shalt  speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel.  And  Moses 
came,  and  called  for  the  elders  of  the  people,  and  laid  before 
their  faces  all  these  words  which  the  lord  commanded  hijii. 
And  all  the  people  answered  together  and  said.  All  that  the 
Lord  hath  spoken  we  will  do.  And  Moses  returned  the 
words  of  the  people  unto  the  Lord." — Exod.  xix.  4 — 8.  _  We 
learn  also,  when  the  first  sacrifices  were  offered,  after  Moses 
came  down  from  the  mount  of  communion,  that  one  half  of 
the  blood  was  sprinkled  on  the  altar,  and  one  half  on  the 
people,  and  a  solemn  covenant  was  thus  ratified  between 
God  and  them  :  "  And  he  took  the  book  of  the  covenant, 
and  read  in  the  audience  of  the  people  :  and  they  said,  All 
that  the  Lord  hath  said  will  we  do,  and  be  obedient.  And 
Moses  took  the  blood,  and  sprinkled  it  on  the  people,  and 
said.  Behold  the  blood  of  the  covenant,  which  the  Lord  hath 
made  with  you  concerning  all  these  words."  Exod.  xxiv. 
7,  8.  The  covenant  of  Grace,  on  God's  part,  is  as  free  and 
simple  as  words  can  make  it.  The  security  thereof  is  as 
great  as  the  promise  and  the  oath  of  an  immutable  God  can 
render  it :  "  Know  therefore,  that  the  Lord  thy  God,  He  is 
God,  the  faithful  God,  M^hich  keepeth  covenant  and  mercy 
with  them  that  love  Him,  and  keep  His  commandments,  to 
a  thousand  generations."  Deut.  vii.  9.  The  covenant  of 
obedience  also  on  the  part  of  the  people,  is  as  directly  and 
universally  binding  as  can  possibly  be  conceived :  "  And 
thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thine  lieart.  and 


EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — KIGHTEOUSNESS.       229 

with  all  thy  soul,  and  \Yith  all  thy  might.  And  these  words, 
which  I  command  thee  this  day,  shall  be  in  thine  heart : 
And  thou  shalt  teach  them  diligently  unto  thy  children,  and 
shalt  talk  of  them  when  thou  sittest  in  thine  house,  and 
when  thou  walkest  by  the  way,  and  when  thou  liest  down, 
and  when  thou  risest  up."     Deut.  vi.  5 — 7. 

The  religion  of  the  Bible  is  eminently  practical.  Even  in 
Eden,  amid  all  the  sweets  of  Paradise,  there  was  no  idle- 
ness, no  unproductive  sentimentalism.  "  The  Lord  God 
took  the  man  and  put  him  into  the  garden  of  Eden,  to  dress 
it  and  to  keep  it."  Gen.  ii.  15.  In  the  heavenly  paradise, 
the  redeemed,  we  read,  shall  "  serve'''  God  day  and  night ; 
and  in  the  fulness  of  their  love,  and  in  the  universality  of 
their  obedience,  they  will  "  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever 
He  goeth."  Rev.  xiv.  4.  The  Scriptures  of  truth  calls  us 
to  a  religion  of  holy  living,  and  of  active  benevolence.  The 
blessings  of  peace  and  of  joy  promised  in  the  gospel,  are  not 
bestowed  on  the  talkative  professor,  but  on  the  obedient  and 
diligent  disciple.  "  If  ye  know  these  things,  happy  are  ye 
if  ye  do  them,"  said  our  blessed  Lord.  Johnxiii.  17.  And 
David,  to  past  generations,  had  given  his  testimony  to  the 
same  eftect :  "  In  the  keeping  of  Thy  commandment  there 
is  great  reward."  Psa.  xix.  11.  Blessed  as  did  the  women 
of  Israel  regard  it,  to  be  the  mother  of  the  Messiah,  that 
Messiah  himself  declared  that  all  His  faithful  disciples  are 
far  more  blessed  in  the  nearness  of  their  spiritual  relation- 
ship, than  even  the  Virgin  Mary  in  the  closest  bonds  of  the 
flesh.  "  He  said.  Yea,  rather  blessed  arc  they  that  hear  the 
word  of  God  and  keep  it."     Luke  xi.    28.     And  that   this 


230      EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

was  no  solitary  statement,  no  passing  sentiment,  on  the  part 
of  our  Lord,  we  learn  from  various  passages  of  His  life,  and 
from  none  more  emphatically  than  from  the  following  most 
gracious  declaration,  by  which  He  again  brings  all  His  true 
disciples  into  a  nearer  and  more  blesssed  union  with  Him- 
self, than  even  that  which  His  mother  and  His  brethren  en- 
joyed. "  Then  one  said  unto  Him,  Behold,  thy  mother  and 
thy  brethren  stand  without,  desiring  to  speak  with  thee. 
But  He  answered  and  said  unto  him  that  told  Him,  Who 
is  my  mother  ?  and  who  are  my  brethren  ?  And  He 
stretched  forth  His  hand  toward  His  disciples,  and  said,  Be- 
hold  my  mother  and  my  brethren  !  For  whosoever  shall 
do  the  will  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven,  the  same  is  my 
brother,  and  sister,  and  mother."     Matt.  xii.  47 — 50. 

If  there  be  one  truth,  the  necessity  of  which  should  be 
more  extensively  stamped  than  another  upon  the  minds  of 
men,  it  is  that  of  sincere  and  continual  obedience.  It  is 
self-evident,  even  to  the  heathen,  that  there  must  always 
exist  a  correspondence  between  the  professions  of  the  mouth 
and  the  transactions  of  the  life.  It  was  the  complaint  of 
God  against  Israel  of  old,  "  they  hear  my  words,  but  they 
will  not  do  them."  Ezek.  xxxiii.  31.  "  This  people  draweth 
near  to  me  with  their  mouth,  and  with  their  lips  do  honor 
me,  but  they  have  removed  their  heart  far  from  me."  Isa. 
xxix.  13.  And  Jesus  spake  plainly  to  them  that  followed 
Him,  "  Why  call  ye  me  Lord,  Lord,  and  do  not  the  things 
which  I  say  ?"  Luke  vi.  46.  Therefore  St.  James  thus  warns 
all  professing  Christians,  "  Be  ye  doers  of  the  word,  and 
not  hearers  only,  deceiving  your  own  selves.     For  if  any 


EVEELASTING  BENEFITS — EIGHT EOUSNESS.      231 

be  a  hearer  of  the  word,  and  not  a  doer,  he  is  like  unto  a 
man  beholding  his  natural  face  in  a  glass.  For  he  beholdeth 
himself,  and  goeth  his  way,  and  straightway  forgetteth  what 
manner  of  man  he  was.  But  whoso  looketh  into  the  perfect 
law  of  liberty,  and  continueth  therein,  he  being  not  a  forget- 
ful hearer,  but  a  doer  of  the  work,  this  man  shall  be  blessed 
in  his  deed.  If  any  man  among  you  seem  to  be  religious, 
and  bridieth  not  his  tongue,  but  deceiveth  his  own  heart, 
this  man's  religion  is  vain.  Pure  religion  and  undefiled  be- 
fore God  and  the  Father  is  this.  To  visit  the  fatherless  and 
widows  in  their  affliction,  and  to  keep  himself  unspotted 
from  the  world."  James  i.  22 — 27. 

Of  all  the  transgressions  that  are  to  be  found  upon  this 
sin-laden  world,  none  is  more  truly  odious  than  that  of  the 
Antinomian — who  "continues  in  sin,  that  grace  may  abound." 
Rom.  vi.  1.  The  word  and  example  of  such,  "  eat  as  doth 
a  canker."  2  Tim,  ii,  17.  "These  are  spots  in  our  feasts 
of  charity  :  they  are  clouds  without  water :  they  are  trees 
without  fruit :  they  are  raging  waves  of  the  sea,  foaming 
out  their  own  shame  :  wandering  stars,  to  whom  is  reserved 
the  blackness  of  darkness  for  ever."  Jude  12,  13.  To  all 
such  let  it  again  and  again  be  declared,  "  if  any  man  have 
not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  His."  Rom.  viii.  9. 
"  He  that  saith,  I  know  Him,  and  keepeth  not  His  com- 
mandments, is  a  liar,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  him."  1  John 
ii.  4.  The  Apostles  reiterate  most  anxiously  their  emphatic 
warnings  on  this  important  point.  St.  John  says,  "  Little 
children,  let  no  man  deceive  you  :  he  that  doeth  righteous- 
ness is  righteous,  even  as  He  (Christ)  is  righteous.     He  that 


232       EVEKLASTING  BENEFITS — RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

committeth  sin  is  of  the  devil."  1  John  iii.  7,  8.  St.  Jiide 
declares  that  it  was  needful  for  him  to  exhort  believers  to 
"  contend  earnestly  for  the  faith,  which  was  once  delivered 
to  the  Saints,  because  there  were  certain  men  crept  in  un- 
awares" into  the  Church,  "  ungodly  men,  turning  the  grace 
of  our  God  into  lasciviousness."  Jude  3.  St.  Peter  declares 
that  it  would  have  been  better  for  such,  "  not  to  have  known 
the  way  of  righteousness,  than  after  they  have  known  it,  to 
turn  from  the  holy  commandment  delivered  unto  them." 
2  Pet.  ii.  21.  St.  James  asks  this  plain  question,  "  What 
doth  it  profit,  my  brethren,  though  a  man  say  he  hath  faith, 
and  have  not  works  %  can  faith  save  him  ?  For  as  the  body 
without  the  spirit  is  dead,  so  faith  without  works  is  dead 
also."  James  ii.  14,  26  ;  and  adds,  "Therefore  to  him  that 
knoweth  to  do  good,  and  doeth  it  not,  to  him  it  is  sin." 
(iv.  17.)  St.  Paul  gives  this  most  earnest  injunction,  "  Let 
no  man  deceive  you  with  vain  words  :  for  because  of  these 
things  Cometh  the  wrath  of  God  upon  the  children  of  dis- 
obedience. Be  not  ye,  therefore,  partakers  with  them." 
Eph.  V.  6,  7. 

To  comfort  himself,  together  with  the  then  existing,  and 
all  future,  ministers  and  members  of  the  Christian  Church, 
under  the  bitter  blightings  of  this  moral  pestilence,  St.  Paul 
instructed  Timothy  in  this  ever-memorable  truth  :  "  Never- 
theless, the  foundation  of  God  standeth  sure,  having  this 
seal,  The  Lord  knoweth  them  that  are  His.  And,  let  every 
one  that  nameth  the  name  of  Christ  depart  from  iniquity." 
2  Tim.  ii.  19. 

The  universal  law  over  all  intellicrent  beings  whom  the 


EVEELASTING   BENEFITS — RIGHTEOUSNESS.        233 

Lord  hath  made,  is  this  :  "  Be  ye  holy,  for  I  am  holy." 
From  the  High  and  Holy  One  that  inhabiteth  eternity,  no 
contrary  command  could  possibly  emanate.  The  funda- 
mental law  which  His  unchangeable  word  has  recorded,  is 
this  :  "  without  holiness,  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord."  Heb. 
xii.  14.  And  that  this  law  might  be  accomplished  in  us,  we 
are  taught  in  Scripture,  that  the  Lord  God  "  sent  His  Son 
to  bless  us  in  turning  away  every  one  of  us  from  our  in- 
iquities." Acts  iii.  26. 

We  must  receive  this  freely-gifted  Saviour  whole  and  en- 
tire, or  we  do  not  receive  Him  at  all.  The  security  cannot 
be  separated  from  the  sanctity  of  His  salvation.  The  title 
to  heaven  must  be  accompanied  by  the  meetness  for  it. 
Both  of  these  are  vouchsafed  to  us  in  Christ  with  equal  free- 
ness  and  with  equal  fulness.  Christ  is  given  to  us  in  four- 
fold and  perfect  measure — "  He  is  of  God  made  unto  us 
wisdom,  and  righteousness,  and  sanctiiication,  and  redemp- 
tion," 1  Cor.  i.  30 ; — "  wisdom,"  that  we  may  know  the 
things  that  are  freely  given  unto  us  of  God  ;  1  Cor.  ii.  12 ; 
— "  righteousness,"  that  we  may  possess  a  title  to  the  bless- 
ings thus  freely  given  ; — "  sanctification,"  that  we  may  be 
made  meet  to  join  with  God  in  their  present  and  con- 
tinual enjoyment ; — and  "  redemption,"  that  we  may  fully 
and  for  ever  be  delivered  from  all  decays  which  would  be- 
dim our  knowledge  ;  from  every  enemy  who  would  dispute 
our  title  ;  from  every  polluting  thing  which  would  defile  our 
souls ;  and  from  every  form  and  manner  of  weakness,  op- 
pression and  captivity,  that  would  fetter  our  free,  and  joyous, 
and  perpetual,  intercourse  with  our  Lord  and  Saviour  in  His 


234        EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

prepared  mansions,  amid  the  unsearchable  and  everlasting 
treasures  of  heaven. 

Reader,  Christ,  with  all  His  blessings,  is  freely  given  to 
thee  by  God.  Accept  Him,  with  them  all,  as  freely  as  He 
and  they  are  given.  Dost  thou  wish  to  possess  the  "  ever- 
lasting righteousness"  which  He  has  brought  in  1  Behold  it 
freely  given  to  thee  in  Christ !  Receive  of  that  "  gift  of 
righteousness."  Accept  it  immediately  and  gratefully.  Take 
it  as  your  only  title  to  heaven,  renouncing  all  ^ther,  and 
thou  shalt  "  reign  in  life  by  Jesus  Christ."  Rom.  v.  17. 
Dost  thou  wish  to  "  keep  God's  covenant,"  and  to  "  do  His 
commandments"  1  Behold  Christ  is  thy  "  sanctification." 
Ask  Him,  and  He  will  by  His  Spirit,  "  work  in  you  to  will 
and  to  do  of  His  good  pleasure."  Every  thought  of  your 
mind,  Christ  by  His  Spirit  will  purify.  Daily  will  you  be 
"  renewed  after  the  image  of  Him  that  created  you."  As  a 
living  branch  in  the  living  Vine,  you  will  "have  your  fruit 
unto  holiness,  and  the  end  everlasting  life."  The  prayer  of 
the  Apostle  for  the  Colossians  will  be  fulfilled  in  the  experi- 
ence of  your  soul — "  you  will  walk  worthy  of  the  Lord  unto 
all  pleasing,  being  fruitful  in  every  good  word,  and  increas- 
ing in  the  knowledge  of  God :"  yea,  and  his  thanksgi\ang 
unto  the  Father  will  also  be  the  grateful  acclamation  of  your 
heart — that  He  "  hath  made  you  meet  to  be  a  partaker  of 
the  inheritance  of  the%aints  in  light."  Col.  i.  9 — 12. 

The  everlasting  righteousness  of  the  Redeemer,  ensures 
the  everlasting  happiness  of  His  redeemed.  The  Lord  Jesus 
is  their  "all  in  all."  In  every  want^ He  is  their  Friend. 
In  every  danger  He  is  their  Defence.     In  weakness  He  is 


EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — RIGHTEOUSNESS.        235 

their  Strength  ;  m  sorrow,  their  Joy  ;  in  pain,  their  Peace  ; 
in  poverty,  their  Provider ;  in  sickness,  their  Physician  ;  in 
hunger,  their  Bread ;  in  trouble,  their  Consolation ;  in  per- 
plexity, their  Counsellor ;  in  the  furnace,  their  Refiner ;  in 
the  floods,  their  Rock ;  in  assaults,  their  Refuge  ;  in  accusa- 
tions, their  Advocate ;  in  debt,  their  Surety ;  in  slavery, 
their  Ransom ;  in  captivity,  their  Deliverer ;  in  the  day, 
their  Sun ;  in  the  night,  their  Keeper  ;  in  the  deserts,  their 
Shepherd ;  in  oflering  prayer.  He  is  their  Priest ;  in  render- 
ing obedience,  their  King ;  in  obtaining  knowledge,  their 
Prophet ;  in  life  He  is  their  Hope  ;  in  death,  their  Life ;  in 
the  grave,  their  Resurrection ;  and  in  heaven,  their  Glory. 
The  Lord  Jesus  is  thus  all  in  all  to  His  people  now,  and 
He  is  all  in  all  to  them  for  ever  and  for  evermore.  It  is  His 
love  which  draws  them  toward  Himself,  and  it  is  "  everlast- 
ing love."  Jer.  xxxi.  3.  It  is  His  way  on  which  they  walk, 
and  it  is  "  the  everlasting  way."  Psa.  cxxxix.  24.  It  is  His 
light  which  guides  them  therein,  and  it  is  "  an  everlasting 
light."  Isa.  Ix.  19.  It  is  His  strength  which  helps  them 
thereon,  and  it  is  "  everlasting  strength."  Isa.  xxvi.  4.  His 
arms  they  are  which  bear  and  embrace  them,  and  they  are 
"  the  everlasting  arms."  Deut.  xxxiii.  27.  It  is  His  conso- 
lation which  encourages  them  to  persevere,  and  it  is  "  ever- 
lasting consolation."  2  Thess.  ii.  16.  It  is  His  kindness 
which  pities  and  supplies  them,  and  it  is  "  everlasting  kind- 
ness." Isa.  liv.  8.  It  is  His  righteousness  in  which  they 
are  arrayed,  and  it  is  "everlasting  righteousness."  Psa. 
cxix.  142.  It  is  His  mercy  which  surrounds  them,  and  it  is 
"  everlasting  mercy.*'     Psa.  c.  5.     It  is  His  joy  which  glad- 


236        EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — RIGHTKOUSNESS. 

dens  them,  and  it  is  "everlasting  joy."  Isa.  xxxv.  10.  It 
is  His  salvation  which  saves  them,  and  it  is  "  everlasting 
salvation."  Isa.  xlv.  17.  It  is  His  kingdom  into  which  He 
receives  them,  and  it  is  an  "  everlasting  kingdom."  Psa. 
cxlv.  13. 

Let  Christ,  therefore,  be  thy  all  in  all,  for  time  and  for 
eternity.  With  the  faithful  Martyr  say,  while  living,  "  None 
but  Christ."  When  dying,  say,  "None  but  Christ." 
Through  all  eternity  say,  "  None  but  Christ."  Let  this  tri- 
umphant name,  "  The  Lord  our  Righteousness,"  settle 
every  difficulty,  solve  every  doubt,  and  silence  every  accu- 
sation. When  the  Law  cries,  "  Thou  hast  disobeyed  my  en- 
actments," answer  thou  "  Christ  for  me  has  obeyed  them 
all."  When  conscience  tells  thee  thy  sins  are  both  many 
and  great,  answer  thou,  "  Christ's  blood  cleanseth  from  all 
sin."  When  reminded  of  your  natural  ignorance  of  the 
way  to  heaven,  say,  "  Christ  is  my  wisdom."  When  your 
ground  and  title  to  that  kingdom  are  demanded,  say,  "  Christ 
is  my  righteousness."  When  your  meetness  to  enter  within 
its  sacred  gates  is  challenged,  say,  "  Christ  is  my  sanctifica- 
tion."  When  sin,  and  the  law,  when  death  and  Satan  claim 
thee  as  their  captive,  reply  to  them  all,  "  Christ  is  my  re- 
demption." "  The  Law  saith.  Pay  thy  debt.  The  Gospel 
saith,  Christ  hath  paid  it.  The  Law  saith,  Thou  art  a  sinner ; 
despair,  for  thou  shalt  be  condemned.  The  Gospel  saith. 
Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee  ;  be  of  good  comfort,  thou  shalt 
be  saved.  The  Law  saith.  Make  amends  for  thy  sins.  The 
Gospel  saith,  Christ  hath  made  it  for  thee.  The  Law  saith, 
The  Father  of  heaven  is  angry  with  thee.     The  Gospel  saith, 


EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — EIGHTEOUSNESS.      237 

Christ  hath  pacified  Him  with  His  blood.  The  Law  saith, 
Where  is  thy  righteousness,  goodness,  and  satisfaction? 
The  Gospel  saith,  Christ  is  thy  righteousness,  goodness,  and 
satisfaction.  The  Law  saith,  Thou  art  bound  to  me,  to  the 
Devil,  and  to  the  hell.  The  Gospel  saith,  Christ  hath  de- 
livered thee  from  them  all. — Patrick  Hamilton'' s  Disputa- 
tion between  the  Law  and  Oospel  Martyr.     1527. 


XV. 

TEE   PREPARED   THRONE. 

The  Lord  hath   prepared  His  throne  in  the  heavens. — Verse  19. 

Amid  the  sins  and  the  fluctuations  of  the  world — ^the  col- 
lision of  armies — the  fall  of  kingdoms,  and  the  fading  away 
of  generations — it  is  an  unspeakable  comfort  to  know  that 
"  the  Lord  hath  prepared  His  throne  in  the  heavens."  The 
history  of  the  world  is  but  a  record  of  its  evanescence. 
Fame  informs  us  only  of  men  and  things  that  were.  The 
busy  stage  of  life  presents  to  view  a  long  funeral  procession, 
where  the  whole  multitude  of  the  living  are  following  after 
the  dead.  First  in  the  line  appear  Antediluvian  Patriarchs, 
followed  by  the  descendants  of  Noah,  who  pass  onward  in 
the  pageant  before  us  by  successive  generations  as  time  roljs 
on.  Then  were  kingdoms  established  and  empires  founded, 
and  the  voice  of  adulation  was  heard  vainly  saying  to  each 
successive  monarch,  "  O  King,  live  for  ever  !"  But  where 
now  are  the  flattered  and  their  flatterers  1  All  alike  have 
crumbled  into  dust.  Behold  the  splendor  of  the  golden 
kingdom  of  the  Chaldeans — the  softer  and  silver  brightness 
of  the  Medo-Persians — the  stronger  and   more   extensive 


THE  PREPARED  THRONE.  239 

kingdom  of  the  Macedonians  or  brazen-coated  Greeks — the 
mighty  and  universal  kingdom  of  the  Romans,  breaking  in 
pieces  and  subduing  the  whole  earth  with  its  iron  sceptre. 
Where  are  all  these  now  1  Where  are  their  royal  founders  1 
Where  is  Nebuchadnezzar  ?  Where  is  Cyrus  ?  Where  is 
the  mighty  Alexander  1  Where  are  the  illustrious  Caesars  1 
Who  now  bear  their  names  1  And  where  dwell  their  des- 
cendants upon  the  earth  1  All  is  emptiness.  Nothmg  but 
their  history  remains  to  informs  us  that  they  were  and  are 
not.  How  solicitious  was  each  of  these  monarchs  to  found 
his  kingdom  on  an  indestructible  basis.  How  anxiously  did 
they  prepare  their  thrones  that  their  name  and  their  power 
might  remain.  But  they  prepared  them  on  the  earth.  The 
Lord  likewise  has  prepared  His  throne,  but  He  has  prepared 
it  in  the  heavens.  It  is  a  prepared,  but  not  yet  a  manifested 
throne.  Its  power,  however,  is  a  present  reality.  Even 
now  it  possesses  authority  over  all :  yea,  it  has  possessed 
authority  over  all  from  the  beginning.  Those  four  great 
monarchies  were  ruled  and  overruled  by  it,  alike  in  the  pe- 
riod of  their  origin,  in  the  splendor  of  their  progress,  and  in 
the  circumstances  of  their  decline.  They  came  into  being, 
not  by  the  will,  neither  by  the  power,  of  their  human  found- 
ers, but  according  to  the  determined  purpose  and  by  the  al- 
mighty power  of  the  Lord  our  God.  They  have  stood  suc- 
ces-sfully  upon  the  earth  for  centuries,  and  yet  appeared  long 
ago  in  vision  to  the  King  and  to  the  Prophet  as  forming  only 
one  huge  image.  We  now  are  privileged  to  behold  the  ten 
kingdoms  of  its  feet  partly  strong  and  partly  broken  ;  and 
we  stand  in  living  expectation  to  see  "  the  Stone  that  wns 


24:0  EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — 

cut  out  without  hands,"  smite  the  image  upon  its  feet  and 
break  them  to  pieces.  It  is  our  happy  lot  to  live  in  the  pe- 
riod when  all  these  monarchies  have  filled  up  their  respect- 
ive parts  in  history ;  and  it  is  our  joyful  anticipation  that, 
"  in  the  days  of  these  kings"  that  are  now,  or  that  may 
shortly  arise,  upon  the  earth,  "  the  God  of  heaven"  will  bring 
forth  His  prepared  throne,  and  "  set  up  a  kingdom  which 
shall  never  be  destroyed,  and  which  shall  break  in  pieces 
and  consume  all  these  kingdoms,  and  which  shall  stand  for 
ever."     Dan.  ii.  44. 

There  is,  to  the  eye  of  sense,  much  apparent  confusion  in 
the  past  history,  and  in  the  present  aspect,  of  our  fallen 
world.  There  are  sufferings  and  sorrows,  disorders  and 
discords,  on  every  side.  The  impetuous  passions  of  fallen 
men  appear  to  be  symbolized  by  the  very  elements  around 
them.  The  winds,  the  storms,  the  fires  of  heaven  from 
above — volcanoes,  earthquakes,  and  pestilential  vapors  from 
the  earth  beneath — ^plagues,  fevers,  and  infections  in  the  air 
around — form  a  large  pictorial  alphabet,  an  illuminated  ele- 
mental index,  of  the  evil  thoughts,  the  rapine,  crime,  and 
murder  that  proceed  from  within.  , 

The  aspect  of  society  presents  the  same  confusion  to  our 
view.  The  virtuous  and  honorable  are  not  always  the 
most  successful.  The  vicious  and  the  profligate  do  not  in- 
variably receive  an  adequate  or  immediate  punishment. 
Neither  prosperity  nor  adversity  are  regulated  by  an  un- 
varying law.  So  manifest  is  this  confused  state  of  things, 
that  the  Psalmist  warns  us  not  to  be  troubled  at  the  sight : 
"  Fret  not  thyself  because  of  evil  doers ;  neither  be  thou 


THE    PREPARED   THRONE.  241 

envious  at  the  prosperity  of  the  wicked."  Psa.  xxxvii.  1. 
Cranmer^s  version.  And  Solomon  declares,  that  "  Because 
sentence  against  an  evil  work  is  not  executed  speedily, 
therefore  the  heart  of  the  sons  of  men  is  fully  set  in  them 
to  do  evil."  Eccles.  viii.  11. 

Amid  all  this  change  and  confusion  to  the  eye  of  man, 
there  has  been  no  change,  and  no  confusion,  to  the  eye  of 
God.  All  has  been  precision  and  regularity  in  His  sight. 
One  kingdom  has  but  followed  another  in  the  order  of  His 
appointed  course.  Sorrow  and  suffering,  indeed,  have 
marked  their  progress.  Pride  and  ambition  paved  their 
way,  and  war  and  bloodshed  followed  in  their  track.  Men 
were  either  dazzled  by  the  vain  glory  of  their  advance,  or 
buried  beneath  the  ruins  of  their  decline.  They  beheld 
nothing  further  than  their  fellow  men  striving  against  each 
other  for  the  mastery  :  and  involved,  as  they  felt  themselves 
to  be,  against  their  wills,  they  could  only  groan,  and  bleed, 
and  perish,  in  the  universal  struggle.  But  God  seeth  not  as 
man  seeth.  All  these  things  are  permitted  and  oveiTuled 
by  Him.  The  breaking  of  sceptres ;  the  overthrow  of 
thrones  ;  the  fall  of  monarchs  ;  and  the  change  of  dynasties, 
are  the  visitations  of  nations  for  their  sins,  and  are  visible 
preparations  for  His  kingdom.  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord  God, 
Remove  the  diadem  and  take  off  the  crown :  for  this  shall 
not  be  the  same  :  exalt  him  that  is  low,  and  abase  him  that 
is  high.  I  will  overturn,  overturn,  overturn  it :  and  it  shall 
be  no  more,  until  he  come  whose  right  it  is,  and  1  will  give 
it  HIM."  Ezek.  xxi.  26,  27. 

To  the  man  of  the  world  fortune  is  indeed  pictured  with 
11 


242  EVERLASTING   BENEFITS— 

a  smile  of  kindness  upon  her  face,  but  with  the  fold  of  blind- 
ness upon  her  eyes.  To  the  believer,  however,  there  is  no 
blind  fortune.  His  eye  of  faith  pierces  the  troubled  ele- 
ments of  natm'e,  and  beholds  a  calm  sunshine  beyond.  He 
looks  through  the  vapory  ebullitions  of  human  passion,  and 
discerns  a  heavenly  King,  causing  the  very  wrath  of  man  to 
praise  Him,  and  ordering  all  things  for  His  own  glory.  The 
believer  can  calmly  survey  the  confused  aspects  of  society 
and  of  the  world.  He  feels  certain  that  the  prosperity  of 
the  wicked  is  but  for  a  moment.  And  though,  by  the  con- 
vulsions and  oppressions  that  surround  him,  he  may  be 
borne  down  in  the  flesh,  yet  will  he  be  lifted  upward  in  the 
spirit  by  the  assured  knowledge  of  this  blessed  truth,  "  The 
Lord  hath  prepared  His  throne  in  the  heavens." 

Observe  that  word  "  prepared," — not  preparing,  but  pre- 
pared. It  has  been  thought  of,  designed,  determined,  yea, 
set  up.  Whatever  may  be  seen  or  felt,  whatever  may  be 
thought  or  said,  there  is  no  lack  of  government,  there  is 
nothing  wrong  in  the  administration  of  the  Most  High.  His 
sceptre  is  a  right  sceptre — a  sceptre  of  righteousness.  His 
throne  is  a  prepared  throne,  but  at  present  it  is  in  the  heav- 
e?2s.  Beyond  these  visible  clouds  the  throne  of  God  is  es- 
tablished. A  thin  veil  of  atmosphere  conceals  it  from  our 
mortal  view  ;  but  still  it  is  as  really  there  as  if  we  beheld 
it  with  our  eyes.  But  it  is  now  a  throne  of  mercy,  and  not 
of  judgment.  God  has  appointed  a  day  for  His  prepared 
throne  to  be  set  up  on  the  earth,  and  now  He  forbears  with 
the  children  of  men,  and  gives  them  time,  and  promises,  and 


THE   PREPARED   THRONE.  2i3 

warnings,  and  gracious  invitations  to  return  to  their  allegi- 
ance before  that  day  arrive. 

In  some  province  of  our  empire  should  rebellion  arise, 
our  gracious  Sovereign  would  neither  cause,  nor  approve, 
nor  assist  that  rebellion.  But  should  faction  increase,  sedi- 
tion multiply,  and  lawless  men  commit  depredations  through- 
out the  land,  would  this  confusion  and  these  evils  be  justly 
chargeable  on  the  Royal  Person,  while  she  prepared  her 
throne,  and  made  ready  her  power  to  remove  them  1  And 
suppose,  that  in  the  exercise  of  a  Sovereign's  mercy  to  the 
misguided  people  of  that  province,  instead  of  giving  them 
over  instantly  to  the  sword,  she  should  issue  an  amnesty  in- 
viting every  rebel  to  lay  down  his  arms  before  an  appointed 
day  ?  Should  we  not  applaud  the  grace  and  the  wisdom 
which  would  thus  seek  to  convert  the  rebels  into  loyal  sub- 
jects by  an  act  of  mercy,  rather  than  to  exterminate  them 
at  once  by  martial  law  ?  And  while  that  amnesty — that 
day  of  grace — continued,  however  violent  might  be  the  acts 
of  some  portion  of  the  rebels,  and  however  severe  might  be 
the  temporary  trials  of  a  part  of  her  loyal  subjects,  who 
could,  with  any  justice,  lay  these  to  the  charge  of  the  Eoyal 
clemency  1 

So  is  it  with  ourselves,  and  with  the  King  of  heaven. 
Tliis  earth  on  which  we  tread  is  the  rebellious  province. 
We  ourselves  are  the  rebellious  subjects.  Our  life  is  spared 
under  the  act  of  amnesty,  under  the  day  of  grace.  "  Be- 
hold, now  is  the  accepted  time ;  behold,  now  is  the  day  of 
salvation."  To-day,  while  it  is  called  to-day,  we  are  invited 
to  lay  down  our  arms.     The  Gospel  is  the  royal  proclama- 


244  EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — 

tion  of  mercy.  Whosoever  comes,  in  the  appointed  way, 
and  before  the  appointed  time,  shall  in  no  wise  be  cast  out. 

If,  however,  confusion  meanwhile  exist,  evils  prevail,  and 
anarchy  predominate  over  government,  in  our  rebellious 
province,  are  these  to  be  charged  upon  our  lawful  Sovereign, 
and  not  rather  on  our  own  lawless  rebellion  ?  And  what  is 
the  consolation  which  every  loyal  heart  experiences  ? — Is  it 
not  the  assurance  that  a  day  is  appointed  to  put  down  evil, 
and  to  introduce  order  1  Is  it  not  the  very  declaration  of 
the  Psalmist,  "  The  Lord  hath  prepared  His  throne  in  the 
heavens'?"  Yes,  the  believer  fixes  his  eye  continually  ori 
the  sovereign,  and  overruling,  power  of  God.  And  what- 
ever may  be  the  trials  and  the  confusion  that  prevail  for 
the  present,  "  this  is  the  victory  that  overcometh"  the  whole 
''  world "  of  trouble  and  perplexity — "  even  our  faith  !" 
Meanwhile,  we  believe  in  the  clemency  of  our  King.  We 
accept  the  amnesty.  We  lay  down  the  weapons  of  our  re- 
bellion. And  we  rejoice  to  know  that  "  His  throne  is  pre- 
pared in  the  heavens,"  and  that  "  He  hath  appointed  a  day 
in  the  which  He  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness  by 
that  Man  whom  He  hath  ordained."  Acts  xvii.  31. 

Justly  might  the  Lord  have  given  up  our  rebellious  race 
to  condign  punishment ;  but,  in  His  mercy.  He  sent  His 
Son  into  the  world  not  to  condemn,  but  to  save.  God  de- 
clares that  He  has  no  pleasure  in  the  death  of  the  wicked. 
He  is  not  willing  that  any  should  perish ;  and  He  graciously 
extends  the  sceptre  of  mercy,  that  we  may  turn  from  our 
rebellion  and  live.  The  Apostle  warmly  expostulates  with 
all  who  would  abuse  this  clemency  of  the  King  of  heaven  ; 


THE    PREPARED   THRONE.  245 

who  continue  in  their  rebellion,  though  mercy  be  proclaimed 
to  them.     "  Despisest  tl\ou,"  he  demands,  "  the  riches  of 
His   goodness,   and   forbearance,   and    long-suffering:    not 
knowing  that  the  goodness  of  God  leadeth  thee  to  repent- 
ance.    But  after  thy  hardness,  and  impenitent  heart,  treas- 
urest  up  unto  thyself  wrath  agamst  the  day  of  wrath,  and 
revelation  of  the  righteous  judgment  of  God  1"  Rom.  ii.  4,  5. 
Jesus  is  now  sitting  on  His  Father's  throne,  and  in  due 
time  He  will  be  seated  on  His  own.  Rev.  iii.  21.     As  a 
"  Priest"  at  the  right  hand  on  high.  He  now  carries  on  the 
blessed  work  of  mediation  ;  but  ere  long  as  a  "  King"  on 
His  "  throne,"  specially  "  prepared  "  for  Him  as  the  God- 
Man,  He  will  appear  Supreme,  the  Reigning  Sovereign  of 
our  world.     His  heavenly  sceptre  will  put  "  down  all  rule 
and  all  authority  and  power"  (1  Cor.  xv.  24)  in  Satan  and 
the  wicked,  and  introduce  love  and  harmony,  holiness  and 
joy  over  the  whole  earth.     Then  our  long-offered  prayer 
will  at  last  be  answered.     Christ's  kingdom  will  come.    The 
prepared  throne  of  the  God-Man  will  be  set  on  high.     The 
thin  veil  of  atmosphere  will  no  longer  conceal  the  great 
Sovereign  of  the  universe  from  our  view.     The  Lord  Jesus 
will  come  forth  crowned  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords. 
The  day  of  grace  will  be  past.     The  act  of  amnesty  will 
have  ceased.     The   sword  of  justice  will   be   unsheathed. 
Every  rebellious  subject  will  be  destroyed.     Every  loyal 
subject  will   be   honored.      And  a   joy  inexpressible   and 
everlasting  will  pervade  the  breasts  of  all  the  members  of 
the   Redeemed   Family,   when    they   behold    their    Elder 
Brother  seated  on  His  prepared  throne. 


246  EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — 

Dear  Reader,  have  you  seriously  thought  of  that  solemn 
day  ?  The  Lord  has  prepared  His  throne  ;  have  you  pre- 
pared your  heart  ?  Not  more  certainly  do  you  read  these 
words  of  the  Psalmist,  than  you  shall  assuredly  behold  this 
prepared  throne.  Are  you  preparing  to  stand  before  it  ? 
Is  your  trust  based  wholly  on  Christ  ?  Do  you  renounce 
all  sin  1  Have  you  given  yourself  to  Jesus  to  be  saved  as 
a  sinner  through  His  righteousness  1  As  He  assumed  your 
name  to  take  the  curse,  do  you  use  only  His  name  to  obtain 
the  blessing  1  Do  you  renounce  your  own  name  and  fancied 
mprit  before  God — and  do  you  plead  only  Christ's  name 
and  Christ's  merits  at  His  footstool  ?  Do  you  see  and  know 
that  you  can  have  no  righteousness  of  your  own,  and  have 
you  determined,  with  the  Psalmist,  to  say,  "  I  will  make 
mention  of  Thy  righteousness,  even  of  Thine  only  1"  Since 
God  accepted  Christ's  work,  do  you  likewise  accept  it  for 
your  own  soul  ?  Do  you  give  your  entire  consent  to  it  ? 
In  Christ's  obedience  as  a  Surety,  do  you  believe  that,  in  the 
eye  of  the  law,  you  have  obeyed  '? — that  in  His  sufferings  you 
have  legally  suffered  ? — that  in  His  death  you  have  legally 
died  ? — and  that  in  His  resurrection  you  have  been  legally 
acquitted  ?  If  you  had  obeyed  the  law  in  your  own  person, 
and  suffered  its  penalty  for  your  own  guilt,  and  by  the  power 
of  God  had  been  made  alive  again,  Avould  you  not  believe 
that  the  sentence  once  executed  would  not  again  be  enforced  1 
— And  do  you  now  believe  this — most  blessedly  and  most 
certainly  believe  it — through  such  a  Surety's  obedience — 
through  such  a  Surety's  sufferings  ?  Oh  !  thus  give  yourself 
to  Christ,  I  beseech  you.     Cast  yourself  in  this  manner  upon 


THE    PREPARED   THRONE.  247 

His  merits.  Realize  your  oneness  with  Him.  "  Put  on 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ"  by  this  argument,  and  say,  "  He 
stood  for  me — He  answered  for  me — He  obeyed  for  me — 
He  died  for  me — He  rose  again  for  me — and  in  the  eye  of 
the  law  therefore  I  stood  in  Him — -I  answered  in  Him — 
I  obeyed  in  Him — I  died  in  Him — I  rose  again  in  Him." 
Thus  ''  reckon  yourself  to  be  dead  indeed  unto  sin,  but  alive 
unto  God,  through  Jesus  Christ  your  Lord."  Thus  "yield 
yourself  unto  God,  as  one  that  is  alive  from  the  dead,  and 
your  members  as  instruments  of  righteousness  unto  God." 
Rom.  vi.  11 — 14.  Thus  "let  not  sin  reign  in  your  mortal 
body,"  but  let  "  grace  reign  through  righteousness  unto 
eternal  life  by  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord."  Rom.  v.  21.  Thus 
"  set  your  affections  upon  things  above,  not  on  things  on  the 
earth  :  for  ye  are  dead,  and  your  life  is  hid  with  Christ  in 
God.  When  Christ,  who  is  our  life,  shall  appear,  then  shall 
ye  also  appear  with  Him  in  glory.  Mortify,  therefore, 
your  members  which  are  upon  the  earth."  Col.  iii.  3 — 5. 
This,  this,  will  be  a  most  blessed  preparation  for  your  soul 
to  stand  before  the  prepared  throne  :  and  unlike  the  men  of 
the  world,  who  will  "  call  upon  the  rocks  and  the  mountains 
to  fall  upon  them  and  to  hide  them  from  the  face  of  Him 
that  sitteth  on  the  throne  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb," 
you  will  now  be  enabled  to  say,  and  then  be  enabled  to 
realize,  what  a  believing  poet  has  sung  : 

"Jesus,  thy  robe  of  righteousness 
jly  beauty  is,  my  glorious  dress 
'Midst  flaming  worlds,  herein  array 'J, 
With  joy  shall  I  lift  up  my  head. 


248  EVERLASTING   BENEFITS. 

When  from  the  dust  of  death  I  rise, 
And  crave  a  mansion  in  the  skies, 

E'en  then  shall  this  be  all  my  plea 

*  Jesus  hath  lived  and  died  for  me.' " 


XYI. 

THE  UNIVERSAL  KINGDOM, 

And  His  kingdom  ruleth  over  all. — Verse  19. 

The  Son  of  Jesse  at  this  part  ot  the  Psalm  reaches  the 
climax  of  his  enumerated  blessings.  From  the  third  and 
onward  through  every  succeeding  verse,  he  had  specified  a 
great  variety  of  benefits  as  subjects  of  thanksgiving  to  his 
God  and  Saviour.  He  now  sums  up  all  by  giving  utterance 
to  a  most  comprehensive  truth,  and  by  placing  on  record 
that  one  grand  blessing  which  imparts  fulness  and  security 
to  every  other — "  His  kingdom  ruleth  over  all." 

In  the  preceding  verses  the  Psalmist  had  spoken  of  the 
Lord  as  his  Benefactor,  his  Forgiver,  and  his  Physician— as 
his  Deliverer  and  his  Preserver — as  his  Teacher,  as  his 
Friend,  and  as  his  Father,  and  now  he  speaks  of  Him  as  the 
Universal  King.  What  joy  does  this  truth  infuse  into  the 
heart !  What  stability  does  it  impart  to  all  our  blessings ! 
To  have  a  Benefactor  and  a  Forgiver  is  truly  delightful ; 
but  when  we  can  add  that  our  Benefactor  and  our  Forgiver 
is  a  Potentate  whom  no  circumstances  can  baffle,  and  whom 
no  adversaries  can  control,  what  language  shall  express  the 
measure  of  our  delight  1     To  hear  that  we  have  a  Physician 

11* 


250  EVERLASTING   BENEFITS — 

and  a  Deliverer,  a  Preserver  and  a  Teacher,  is  indeed  "  glad 
tidings ;"  but  to  learn  that  He  is  also  an  Everlasting  King, 
whose  Almighty  skill  and  wisdom  are  invariably,  and  shall 
be  unceasingly,  exerted  for  our  benefit,  is  "  glad  tidings  of 
GREAT  joy."  To  possess  a  Friend  and  a  Father  is  a  blessed 
cause  of  thanksgiving ;  but  to  know  assuredly  that  this 
Friend  and  this  Father  is  also  the  Universal  King,  the  love 
of  whose  heart  and  the  power  of  whose  hand  will  rule  and 
overrule  all  things  for  our  good  in  time  and  in  eternity,  oh, 
this  is  transporting  knowledge,  and  fills  the  soul  with  over- 
flowing gratitude,  and  the  mouth  with  over-flowing  praise. 

Such  is  the  last  and  crowning  benefit  with  which  David 
completes  his  catalogue  of  mercies  received  from  his  Re- 
deemer, and  which  He  would  not  that  his  soul  should  ever 
willingly  forget — "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul :  and  all  that 
is  within  me,  bless  His  holy  name.  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my 
soul,  and  forget  not  all  His  benefits" — for  "  His  kingdom 
ruleth  over  all." 

Deeply  and  indelibly  let  this  truth  be  impressed  upon 
our  minds.  Throughout  the  ages  that  are  past,  when  king- 
doms were  born,  lived  their  appointed  time,  then  died,  and 
were  forgotten  amid  the  multitude  of  their  successors,  this 
kingdom  of  the  Lord  was  ruling  over  all.  Amid  the  di- 
versity of  nations,  and  the  multiplicity  of  governments  that 
now  exist  on  the  more  widely  inhabited  surface  of  the  globe, 
this  kingdom  of  the  lord  is  ruling  over  all.  Whatever  may 
be  the  principles  of  the  governed,  or  the  powers  of  the  gov- 
ernors, whatever  may  be  the  overturnings  of  thrones,  the  as- 
sumptions of  monarchs,  or  the  devastations  of  nations  in 


THE    UNIVERSAL    KINGDOM.  251 

the  periods  that  are  yet  to  come,  this  kingdom  of  the  Lord 
shall  rule  over  all  for  ever. 

Unspeakable  is  the  joy  and  thankfulness  of  the  believer 
to  know  that  the  kingdom  of  his  Lord  ruleth  over  all.  The 
kings  of  the  earth  may  war,  and  the  nations  be  agitated  to 
their  centre — men's  minds  may  fail  them  for  fear — and  havoc 
and  cruelty  and  death  may  threaten  on  every  side :  the  lust 
of  conquest  and  the  pride  of  power  may  set  the  strong 
against  the  weak,  and  deadly  struggles  for  the  mastery  may 
mark  the  progress  of  their  conflict :  the  passions  and  the 
principles  of  men  may  be  enlisted  against  all  established  or- 
der, and  the  limited  tyranny  of  the  Ruler  may  be  displaced 
by  the  unlimited  tyranny  of  the  multitude — losses  may  be 
sustained  and  untold  hardships  be  endured,  yea,  life  itself 
may  be  t^^rtured  from  the  frame  of  the  believer  under  the 
rule  of  man ;  but  this  is  his  consolation,  this  his  triumph, 
that  these  are  all  working  together  for  his  good,  because  the 
kingdom  of  his  Lord  ruleth  over  all. 

Unspeakable  is  the  joy  and  thankfulness  of  the  believer 
to  know  that  the  kingdom  of  his  Lord  ruleth  over  all.  The 
church  of  Christ  may  be  overrun  with  error.  The  worshij) 
of  the  Saviour  may  be  cast  into  the  shade  by  idolatrous  de- 
votions presented  to  His  mother,  and  off*ered  to  the  bread 
of  His  own  sacrament.  The  "  power  of  the  keys"  may  be 
boasted  as  superior  to  the  power  of  the  sword,  and  she  who 
bears  them  may  say  in  her  heart,  "  I  sit  a  queen,  and  am  no 
widow,  and  shall  see  no  sorrow."  Rev.  xviii.  7 :  the  false 
prophet  may  extend  his  faith  by  the  sword,  and  wave  his 
green  bannpr  over  lands  held  sacred  in   tlie  history  of  the 


252  EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — 

past :  the  midnight  of  heathen  superstition  and  idolatry  may- 
envelope  the  great  majority  of  the  human  race — the  whole 
earth  may  be  debased  and  prostrated  under  the  rule  of  the 
"  god  of  this  world,"  2  Cor.  iv.  4 ;  but  still  the  believer 
looks  to  the  working  of  that  mighty  power  which  hath  put 
all  things  under  the  feet  of  Jesus,  Eph.  i.  19 — 24,  and  he 
assuredly  knows  that  the  idols  shall  be  utterly  abolished,  and 
the  power  of  the  Mohametan  superstition  be  overthrown,  and 
the  city  on  the  seven  hills  be  burnt  up  with  all  her  pomp 
and  power ;  yea,  Satan  himself  shall  be  cast  down,  and 
the  "earth  be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord," 
for  His  kingdom  ruleth  over  all. 

Unspeakable  is  the  joy  and  thankfulness  of  the  believer  to 
know  that  the  kingdon^  of  his  Lord  ruleth  over  all.  The 
reign  of  sin,  of  Satan,  and  of  the  world,  had  often  vexed  his 
soul,  and  many  an  earnest  conflict  had  he  waged  against 
them.  The  dominion  which  they  maintained  over  his  flesh, 
his  judgments,  and  his  affections,  he  had  often  in  vain  at- 
tempted to  subvert.  Pierced  by  many  a  wound  he  had 
groaned,  and,  borne  down  by  combined  assaults,  he  had 
looked  anxiously  round  for  aid  or  refuge.  "  Oh  wretched 
man  that  I  am,"  he  has  been  heard  to  exclaim,  "  w^ho  shall 
deliver  me  f  And  then,  like  a  joyous  conqueror,  he  has 
been  known  to  add,  "  I  thank  God  through  Jesus  Christ  my 
Lord,"  Rom.  vii.  24,  25 — sin  shall  not  have  dominion  over 
me,  Rom.  vi.  14 — He  will  bruise  Satan  under  my  feet  short- 
ly, Rom.  xvi.  20 — He  will  deliver  me  from  this  present  evil 
world,  Gal.  i.  4 — their  triple  tyranny  shall  be  stripped  of 
power,  for  "  God's  kingdom  ruleth  over  all." 


THE   UNIVERSAL   KINGDOM.  253 

"  O  God,  whose  blessed  Son  was  manifested  that  He 
might  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil,  and  make  us  the  sons 
of  .God  and  heirs  of  eternal  life ;  grant  us,  we  beseech  Thee, 
that  having  this  hope,  we  may  purify  ourselves,  even  as  He 
is  pure  ;  that  when  He  shall  appear  again  with  power  and 
great  glory,  we  may  be  made  like  unto  Him  in  His  eternal 
and  glorious  kingdom,  w^here  with  Thee,  O  Father,  and  thee, 
O  Holy  Ghost,  He  liveth  and  reigneth  ever  one  God,  world 
without  end.     Amen." 

The  present  generation  may  go,  like  their  fathers,  to  the 
tomb,  while  they  behold  the  kingdom  of  God  come  with 
grace ;  but  one  day  there  will  be  some  living  on  the  earth, 
who  shall  not  taste  of  death  till  they  have  seen  that  "  king- 
dom come  with  power."  To  mortal  ken  that  day  and  that 
hour  have  never  been  revealed.  We  cannot,  therefore,  as- 
sert that  it  will  be  in  our  own  day,  neither  can  we  affirm 
that  it  will  not  be  in  the  lifetime  of  the  present  generation. 
All  that  we  can  say  with  certainty  is  this,  that  it  becomes  us 
all  to  "  watch  and  to  pray,  because  we  know  not  when  the 
time  is."  "  Watch,  therefore,  for  ye  know  not  what  hour 
your  Lord  doth  come."  Matt.  xxiv.  42.  The  lapse  of  1800 
years  gives  us  emphatic  warning  that  this  grand  event  is  by 
so  much  nearer  to  ourselves.  And  every  passing  hour 
seems  to  call  upon  us  to  watch  and  pray,  that  we  may  be 
counted  worthy  to  stand  before  the  Son  of  Man.  Luke  xxi. 
36.  Oh,  thrice  happy  will  be  that  holy  expectant  disciple, 
who  shall  be  caught  up  to  meet  his  Lord.  Unlike  the  de- 
parted believer,  his  soul  will  not  be  unclothed  by  the  hand 
of  death,  but  clothed  upon   by  the  power  of  Jesus  witli  his 


254  EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — 

new  body,  or  house,  which  is  from  heaven.  2  Cor.  v.  1 — 4. 
In  a  moment,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  the  mortal  will  be- 
come immortal — the  weak  powerful — and  the  natural,  a 
spiritual  body.  He  who  was  kneeling  under  the  fig-tree  in 
secret  prayer,  will  be  translated  into  the  presence  of  His 
Lord.  He  who  was  singing  the  praises  of  Jesus  in  the 
earthly  sanctuary,  will  be  caught  up,  like  Elijah,  to  join  the 
worship  of  heaven.  Happy  the  man  who,  without  seeing 
corruption,  will  thus  inherit  incorruptioii,  and  who,  without 
tasting  death,  will  thus  be  ushered  mto  life.  But  this  hap- 
piness shall  not  be  his  till  the  prisoners  of  the  tomb  are  lib- 
erated. "  The  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise  first."  Sleeping  in 
Jesus,  their  bodies  will  be  raised,  and  changed  into  the  glo- 
rious likeness  of  Christ's  body.  "  Then  we  that  are  alive 
and  remain,  shall  be  caught  up  together  with  them  in  the 
clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air :  and  so  shall  we  ever  be 
with  the  Lord."     1  Thess.  iv.  13—18. 

"  Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath  part  in  the  first  resur- 
rection." Rev.  XX.  6.  Abel,  the  first  believer  who  entered 
into  rest,  and  all  who  have  followed  him  in  the  faith,  will  be 
there  together.  The  last  shall  be  as  the  first,  and  the  first 
as  the  last.  The  living  will  obtain  no  precedency  over  the 
dead,  nor  the  dead  over  the  living.  Oh,  blessed  time  when 
"the  Lord  our  God  shall  come,  and  all  His  saints  with 
Him."  Zech.  xiv.  5.  Then  will  the  voice  of  the  great  mul- 
titude be  heard,  saying,  "  Alleluia :  for  the  Lord  God  Om- 
nipotent reigneth.  Let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  give 
honor  to  Him ;  for  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is  come,  and 
His  wife  hath  made  herself  ready."     Rev.  xix.  6,  7.     This 


THE    UXIVEKSAL   KIXGDO>f.  255 

glorious  period  was  thus  prefigured  to  Daniel  in  visions  of 
the  night :  "  Behold,  One  like  the  Son  of  Man  came  with 
the  clouds  of  heaven,  and  came  to  the  Ancient  of  Days, 
and  they  brought  Him  near  before  Him.  And  there  was 
given  Him  dominion,  and  glory,  and  a  kingdom,  that  all 
people,  nations,  and  languages,  should  serve  Him ;  His  do- 
minion is  an  everlasting  dominion,  which  shall  not  pass 
away,  and  His  kingdom  that  which  shall  not  be  destroyed. 
And  the  kingdom  and  dominion,  and  the  greatness  of  the 
kingdom  under  the  whole  heaven,  shall  be  given  to  the  peo- 
ple of  the  saints  of  the  most  High,  whose  kingdom  is  an 
everlasting  kingdom,  and  all  dominions  shall  serve  and  obey 
Him."     Dan.  vii.  13,  14,  27. 

This  is  the  "  glory  "  that  was  to  "  follow."  This  is  "  the 
joy  "  that  was  set  before  the  Redeemer  on  the  cross ;  and 
soon  shall  it  be  set  before  the  universe.  The  "  glorious 
majesty  of  His  kingdom"  shall  be  revealed  to  men.  Jesus, 
"  in  His  own  glory,  and  in  the  glory  of  His  Father,  and  of 
the  Holy  angels,"  Luke  ix.  26,  shall  come  forth  wearing 
"  many  crowns."  Angels  and  archangels,  cherubim  and  ser- 
aphim, shall  throng  around  Him  in  allegiance.  Tlu'ones  and 
dominions,  and  principalities  and  powers,  shall  do  Him 
homage.  "  The  kingdoms  of  this  world  shall  become  the 
kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and  of  His  Christ."  All  kings  shall 
fall  down  before  Him :  all  nations  shall  serve  Him. 
"  Every  knee  shall  bow,  of  things  in  heaven  and  things  in 
earth,  and  things  under  the  earth :  every  tongue  shall  con- 
fess that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Fa- 
ther."    Phil.  ii.  10.     He  who  is  ''  The  Truth  "  will  ascend  the 


256  EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — 

"  prepared  throne,"  and  every  false  religion  shall  flee,  and 
all  diversities  of  opinion  shall  cease  ;  the  Father  of  lies  shall 
he  destroyed,  and  all  who  believe  him  shall  be  condemned. 
"  The  Lord  our  Righteousness"  will  reign,  and  sin  and  in- 
iquity shall  prevail  no  more — transgression  and  disobedience 
shall  be  excluded  for  ever.  "  The  Prince  of  Peace"  will 
wield  the  sceptre,  and  wars  shall  cease  unto  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  variance  and  contention  shall  be  brought  to  an  end 
for  ever.  Jesus,  the  God  of  Holiness  and  Love,  will  be  King 
over  all  the  earth,  and  impurity  and  selfishness  and  malev- 
olence shall  never  again  be  found  within  its  borders.  Oh 
what  a  glorious  King,  and  therefore  what  a  glorious  king- 
dom !  "  The  Desire  of  all  nations,"  and  "  the  Light  of  the 
world,"  will  be  on  His  throne.  His  kingdom  will  rule  over 
all — a  kingdom  of  universal  truth,  of  universal  righteousness, 
of  universal  peace,  and  of  universal  purity  and  love  ! 

Oh  joyous  period, — oh  longed-for  time,  when  the  "  head 
that  once  was  crowned  with  thorns,  will  be  crowned  with 
glory," — when  the  hand  that  held  the  reed,  shall  wield  the 
sceptre, — when  the  ear  that  heard  the  accusations  of  false 
witnesses,  will  listen  to  the  Hosannas  of  adoring  multitudes, 
singing,  "Blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord ;" — when  He  who  was  nailed  to  the  cross,  with  this 
title  contemptuously  affixed,  "  King  of  the  Jews,"  will  be 
seated  on  the  throne  of  the  universe,  and  have  on  His  ves- 
ture and  on  His  thigh  this  title  written.  King  of  kings,  and 
Lord  of  Lords.  Rev.  xix.  16.  Amen.  Even  so,  come, 
Lord  Jesus.     Come  quickly.     Come  and  reign. 

If  we  would  welcome  Jesus  then  in   His  kingdom   of 


THE   UNIVERSAL   KINGDOM.  257 

glory,  let  us  welcome  Him  now  in  His  kingdom  of  grace, 
which  is  "  righteousness,  and  peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy 
Ghost."  Rom.  xiv.  17.  The  human  heart  is  the  territory 
over  which  this  kingdom  of  grace  reigns,  and  this  threefold 
blessedness  is  the  result.  Oh,  Reader,  is  Jesus  the  Kmg  of 
your  heart  1  Is  His  throne  established  there  1  Has  your 
rebellious  will  been  made  loyal  and  obedient  1  Does  "  His 
kingdom  rule  over  all "  your  thoughts  and  affections,  over 
all  your  desires  and  motives  1  Are  you  His  loyal  subject  ? 
— His  faithful  soldier  ? — His  devoted  servant  ?  His  king- 
dom of  power  ruleth  over  all  the  universe,  and  yet  He  con- 
descends to  ask  you  to  let  Him  set  up  the  kingdom  of  His 
love  in  your  heart.  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door,  and 
knock  :  if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will 
com.e  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me." 
Rev.  iii.  20.  "  Let"  His  "  grace  reign"  in  your  soul.  Rom. 
V.  21. ;  "let"  His  "peace  rule"  there.  Col.  iii.  15.  Let  the 
kingdom  be  with  power — a  hidden  life  within  you.  Submit 
to  the  sovereignty  of  Jesus.  Yield  up  all  you  love  to  be 
dealt  with  as  He  pleases.  Oh,  if  you  but  knew  the  love  of 
His  royal  heart,  you  would  never  withhold  anything  from 
Him.  None  of  us  really  know  it.  The  strongest  faith  does 
not  give  Him  sufficient  credit — the  most  glowing  gratitude 
comes  far  short  of  His  benefits — the  most  ardent  love  is 
but  as  taper-light  to  the  burning  brightness  of  His  love. 
Meditate  much  on  the  freeness,  the  fulness,  the  tenderness, 
the  self  sacrificing  of  the  love  of  Jesus.  Try  to  get  enlarged 
views  of  His  character  and  excellency.  Jacob  served  seven 
years  from  love,  and  they  seemed  to  him  but  a  few  days. 


258  EVERLASTING  BENEFITS — 

Gen.  xxix.  20.  Jesus  served  thirty-two  years  from  love  to 
your  soul ;  and  as  if  that  were  a  small  thing,  He  died  from 
love  to  you  ;  and  now  He  has  risen  from  the  tomb,  and  asks 
you  if  there  was  ever  love  like  unto  His  love  1  or  any  one, 
therefore,  to  be  preferred  before  Him  1  Oh,  what  an  ada- 
mantine heart  must  beat  within  us,  if  it  respond  not  to  such 
a  love  as  this — if  we  "  yield  not  ourselves  unto  God,  as  those 
that  are  alive  with  Him  from  the  dead ;"  our  members  as 
the  subjects  of  His  "  righteousness,"  our  hearts  as  the  sub- 
jects of  His  "  peace,"  our  spirits  as  the  subjects  of  His 
"joy."  Thus  will  His  kingdom  of  grace  be  established  in 
our  souls  ;  and  with  all  loyalty  and  love  we  shall  be  brought 
to  say,  "  Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  Thee,  and  there  is 
none  upon  earth  that  I  desire  in  comparison  of  Thee." 

How  blessed  is  the  reign  of  love,  when  Jesus  sits  en- 
throned on  the  affections  of  the  heart.  Christ  bears  rule, 
and  all  is  peace  and  harmony.  Hardship  seems  nothing  for 
the  love  we  bear  to  Him.  A  whole  lifetime  spent  in  His 
service  appears  "  but  as  a  few  days."  Religion  is  no  longer 
a  task,  a  monotony,  a  dulness.  It  becomes  a  liberty  and  a 
delight.  We  hail  the  Sabbath-day  with  welcome.  We  joy 
when  it  is  said  to  us,  Let  us  go  into  the  house  of  the  Lord. 
The  chapter  that  we  read  is  not  now  selected  for  its  brevity  ; 
and  the  prayers  we  offer  are  no  longer  mere  formal  repeti- 
tions. At  one  time  we  may  have  been  accustomed  to  say, 
"  I  must  read  a  chapter.  I  must  say  ray  prayers.  I  must 
go  to  church.  I  must  try  to  be  good."  Now,  under  the 
reign  of  grace,  the  spontaneous  utterance  of  the  heart  is 
this  ;  "  I  will  continually  try  to  please  my  God  in  all  things. 


THE    UNIVEKSAL   KINGDOM.  259 

I  trill  diligently  read  His  word,  that  I  may  learn  His  will  re- 
garding nie.  T  will  earnestly  and  thankfully  present  my 
petitions  in  the  closet  and  in  the  sanctuary."  And  then  the 
commandments  are  regarded  as  royal  commands,  as  gracious 
invitations,  as  welcome  messages  ;  as  courtiers  regard  theirs 
from  their  beloved  Sovereign,  and  count  themselves  honored 
to  receive  them ;  so  in  regard  to  the  Ten  Commandments, 
the  imperative  becomes  the  optative  mood,  by  this  logic  of 
loyalty  and  affection  ;  and  when  the  King  of  heaven  says 
"  THOU  SHALT,"  the  bclicver  joyfully  replies,  "  I  will  love  the 
Lord  my  God  with  all  my  heart,  and  with  all  my  soul,  and 
with  all  my  mind,  and  with  all  my  strength  ;"  and  as  Jesus 
said,  so  we  in  measure  are  enabled  to  say,  "  I  delight  to  do 
Thy  will,  O  m.y  God,  yea,  thy  law  is  within  my  heart." 

With  David  we  are  enabled  by  grace  to  rejoice  and  thank 
our  God  unfeignedly,  that  His  kingdom  ruleth  over  all. 
With  gladness  and  with  gratitude  we  place  ourselves  under 
His  rule.  In  fervency  of  desire  we  say,  "  Come,  Lord  Jesus, 
come  and  reign  in  my  heart.  Let  me  be  wholly  Thine. 
Let  no  other  Lord  have  dominion  over  me.  Reign  over  me 
in  body,  soul,  and  spirit,  in  time,  and  throughout  eternity. 
Regulate  my  motives  and  desires.  Rule  over  my  judgment, 
my  imagination,  and  my  affections.  Set  up  Thy  prepared 
throne  upon  the  province  of  my  will.  Yea,  over  my  soul 
and  all  that  is  within  me,  extend  Thy  sceptre ;  and  come, 
the  Lord  of  all,  and  take  possession  of  this  world,  that  Thy 
dominion  may  be  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  the  river  unto 
the  ends  of  the  earth  (Psa.  Ixxii.  8) ;  then  will  my  soul 
bless  Thee,  O  Lord,  and  all  that  is  within  me  will  magnify 
Thy  holy  name,  because  Thy  kingdom  ruleth  over  all." 


XVII. 

Call  t(j  iniijusal  §tntxtxi)3t — ^itpls. 

Bless  the  Lord,  ye  His  angels,  that  excel  in  strength,  that  do 
His  commandments,  hearkening  unto  the  voice  of  His  word. — 
Verse  20. 

Having  summoned  all  his  faculties,  enumerated  all  God's 
benefits,  and  soared  in  gratitude  to  the  highest  point,  the 
Psalmist  finds,  by  the  Spirit,  that  all  he  had  desired  is  not 
half  accomplished.  He  finds  his  faculties  inadequate,  his 
enumeration  incomplete,  and  his  gratitude  imperfect.  His 
intention  in  composing  this  Psalm,  had  been  to  "  bless  the 
Lord."  He  had  proposed  to  himself,  herein,  the  noblest  ob- 
ject that  can  occupy  the  mind  ;  and,  to  aid  him  to  attain  it, 
he  had  collected  the  most  ample  materials  that  could  possibly 
be  reached.  All  he  knew,  and  all  that  he  could  think  of,  in 
the  past  and  in  the  present,  were  adduced  to  help.  The 
Spirit  had  led  him  from  thought  to  thought,  from  mercy  to 
mercy.  His  soul  becomes  enlarged  with  most  exalted  con- 
ceptions of  Divine  goodness.  And  the  Spirit  vividly  im- 
presses these  two  truths  upon  his  mind,  that  God  is  worthy 
of  infinite  blessing,  and  that  all  blessing  is  unworthy 
of  His  infinite  excellence — "  His  praise  is  above  heaven  and 
earth."  Psa.  cxlviii.   12.     Cranmer's  version.     The  benefits 


CALL   TO    UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — ANGELS.      261 

of  the  Lord  stand  before  and  around  him  as  mighty  moun- 
tains that  cannot  be  covered  by  the  highest  tide  of  praise. 
The  abounding  goodness,  the  pardoning  mercy,  and  the  ever- 
lasting love  of  his  Redeemer  can  never  be  sufficiently  ex- 
tolled. The  longer  he  meditates  on  His  mercies,  the  more 
wonderful,  and  undeserved,  and  innumerable,  and  inestima- 
ble do  they  appear.  He  longs  for  some  one  to  aid  him  in 
his  praises.  All  earthly  gratitude  seems  too  gross,  too 
selfish,  too  cold,  too  transient.  His  own  gratitude  appears 
to  be  scarcely  worthy  of  the  name  ;  and  yet  poor  and  feeble 
as  it  is,  he  feels  that  it  cannot  be  repressed.  Bless  God  I 
must.  Bless  God  I  will.  Everything  withm  me  shall  praise 
His  name.  All  the  members  of  my  body  shall  subserve 
His  glory.  For  ever  will  I  bless  the  Bestower  of  my 
benefits,  the  Pardoner  of  my  sins.  His  goodness  is  inex- 
haustible ;  His  love  is  ineffable ;  His  benefits  are  immeas- 
urable ;  His  mercy  is  everlasting ;  His  kingdom  ruleth  over 
all.  Angels  are  my  fellow-subjects.  Every  created  thing 
is  indebted  to  my  King.  Raise  then  your  songs  all  ye  in 
heaven  and  earth.  Join  me  in  this  glorious  work  of  praising 
God.  "  Bless  the  Lord,  ye  His  angels,  that  excel  in  strength, 
that  do  His  commandments,  hearkening  unto  the  voice  of 
His  word."  "  Bless  ye  the  Lord,  all  ye  His  hosts  ;  ye  min- 
isters of  His,  that  do  His  pleasure.  Bless  the  Lord,  all  His 
works  in  all  places  of  His  dominion  :  bless  the  Lord,  O  my 
soul." 

How  natural  is  this  address  of  the  Psalmist.  When  the 
heart  is  full,  either  of  joy,  or  of  sorrow,  we  long  for  sym- 
pathy, for  fellow-feeling,  for  enlarged,  and  prolonged,  and 


262       CALL  TO   UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — ANGELS. 

united  utterances.  The  believer  cannot  be  satisfied  to  praise 
God  alone.  He  longs  that  every  creature  should  do  Him 
homage.  He  knows  that  God  is  worthy  to  be  praised — so 
worthy  that  if  every  man,  and  angel,  and  intelligent  being 
that  ever  existed,  should  speak  His  praise,  His  praise  could 
not  sufficiently  be  spoken.  The  believer  knows  that  it  is 
the  duty  of  every  created  being  to  glorify  the  Lord.  He 
feels  it  also  to  be  his  own  bounden  duty — his  one  grand 
duty  upon  earth.  He  feels  it  not  only  to  be  his  duty,  but 
also,  by  grace,  to  be  his  supreme  delight.  Not  by  nature, 
but  by  the  visitations  of  God's  Spirit,  the  love  within  his 
heart  becomes  at  times  so  fervent,  and  his  gratitude  so 
strong,  that  he  know^s  not  how  to  give  it  utterance.  His 
thoughts  are  too  feeble,  his  voice  too  weak,  his  words  too 
poor.  If  he  had  a  hundred  tongues  he  could  more  than  oc- 
cupy them  all  in  this  glorious  theme.  And  so  enlarged 
does  his  heart  become  with  thankfulness  and  joy,  that  he 
exclaims  "  I  will  extol  Thee  my  God,  O  King ;  and  I  will 
bless  thy  name  for  ever  and  ever.  Every  day  wall  I  bless 
Thee,  and  I  will  praise  thy  name  for  ever  and  ever."  Psa. 
cxlv.  1.  And  oh  !  when  this  pent-up  heart,  this  faltering 
tongue,  these  sinful  lips,  this  languid  body,  shall  be  trans- 
formed on  the  resurrection  morning,  then  will  the  full  burst 
of  joy  and  gratitude  be  heard ;  and  then  will  the  poor  be 
liever  love  without  wavering,  and  rejoice  without  mourning, 
praise  without  sinning,  and  bless  without  ceasing  ;  then  will 
the  voice  of  each  ransomed  sinner  help  to  swell  the  tide  of 
thanksgiving,  as  it  flows  toward  the  Triune  Jehovah  from  the 
whole  multitude  of  the  redeemed,  never  again  to  ebb ;  and 


CALL   TO    UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — ANGELS.      263 

then  will  men  and  angels  unite  in  the  interchanges  of  un- 
ceasing hallelujahs,  blessing  together  their  Eternal  Benefac- 
tor, and  each  aiding  the  other  to  ascend  the  height  of  ever- 
lasting gratitude. 

David  here  anticipates  that  reunion  of  praise.  He  knew 
that  there  had  been  a  time  when  the  angels  rejoiced  over  and 
with  man,  praising  God  for  his  creation.  And  he  believed 
that  a  time  would  come,  when  angels  and  men  should  again 
praise  Jehovah  with,  and  for,  each  other.  And  now,  there- 
fore, he  calls  upon  these  high  and  holy  beings,  during  the 
present  period  of  human  weakness  and  alienation,  to  con- 
tinue and  to  increase  their  songs  of  gratitude.  We  have 
sinned  and  fallen ;  they  stand  steadfast  in  their  original 
postion.  We  cannot  rise  to  the  high  note  of  an  unfallen 
joyous  angel.  He  cannot  descend  to  the  deep  note  of  a 
once  fallen,  but  restored,  and  joyous,  man.  The  harmonies 
of  heaven  are  perfected  by  their  united  song.  Sing,  then,  O 
sing,  ye  angels ;  and  sing,  ye  rescued  men.  Let  heaven  and 
earth  be  one  in  praising  God.  Fly  swift,  ye  heavy  years  of 
time,  and  bring  in  the  glad  New  Year  of  Eternity,  when 
the  universal  Jubilee  shall  burst  upon  our  ear,  and  when  the 
hosannas  of  believers  shall  be  in  unison  for  ever  with  the 
hallelujahs  of  angels. 

It  is  an  unspeakable  consolation,  under  the  painful  con- 
sciousness of  the  imperfection  of  our  praises,  to  know  that 
there  are  others  who  worship  the  Thrice  Blessed  Jehovah 
with  perfect  hearts,  with  faultless  lips,  with  untiring  devo- 
tion, and  with  unceasing  song.  Every  created  being  is 
under  infinite  obligations  to  the  Most  High.     Angels  owe  a 


264       CALIi  TO   UNIVERSAL  GRATITUDE — ANGELS. 

debt  of  everlasting  gratitude.  Angels  are  continually  at- 
tempting to  discharge  that  debt.  They  delight  to  do  so. 
They  know  no  opposite  emotions  to  those  of  joy  and  grati- 
tude. Every  new  mercy  gives  them  new  happiness ;  and 
every  attempt  to  acknowledge  it,  gives  them  fresh  pleasure. 
Their  whole  life  is  praise.  Service  is  joy.  Obedience  is 
gladness.  They  live,  they  move,  they  have  their  being  in 
God. 

Angels  are  incalculable  in  numbers.  Daniel,  in  night 
visions,  beheld  the  "  Ancient  of  Days,"  and  records,  that 
"  thousand  thousands  ministered  unto  Him,  and  ten  thou- 
sand times  ten  thousand  stood  before  Him."  vii.  10.  St. 
John  "  heard  the  voice  of  angels  round  about  the  throne,  and 
the  number  of  them  was  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand, 
and  thousand  of  thousands."  Eev.  v.  11.  St.  Paul  informs 
us,  that  it  is  our  privilege  to  have  come,  through  union  with 
Jesus,  "  to  an  innumerable  company  of  angels."  Heb.  xii. 
Thus  we  know  these  two  facts,  that  angels  exist,  and  exist 
in  countless  numbers ;  but  of  angelic  nature,  and  of  angelic 
life,  we  can  form  no  adequate  conception.  The  pen  of  in- 
spiration discloses  to  our  view  several  interesting  points, 
which  we  might  have  sujDposed,  but  could  not  otherwise 
have  known.  The  Psalmist  gives  us  a  threefold  description 
of  angels  in  this  verse.  He  sets  before  us  their  characteristic 
endowment,  their  outward  life,  and  their  inward  spirit.  He 
says  that  the  angels  "excel  in  strength,"  that  they  "  perform 
God's  commandments,"  and  that  they  "  hearken  to  the  voice 
of  His  word." 

The  power  of  angels  is  largely  exhibited  in  Scripture,  and 


CALL   TO    UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — ANGELS.       265 

universally  admitted  in  the  common  maxims  of  all  nations. 
It  is  their  characteristic  endowment,  that  they  "  excel  in 
strength."  Their  various  manifestations  in  the  sacred  His- 
tory, are  marked  by  a  swiftness  of  motion,  and  by  a  display 
of  power,  beyond  all  human  calculation.  Gabriel  came 
from  heaven  in  the  short  space  of  Daniel's  supplication,  ix. 
21,  23.  In  one  night  the  angel  of  the  Lord  smote  in  the 
camp  of  the  Assyrians  an  hundred  and  eighty-five  thousand 
persons.  2  Kings  xix.  35.  Their  physical  or  bodily  strength 
does  not  surpass  their  moral  or  spiritual  power.  We  read 
that  when  our  blessed  Redeemer  was  passing  through  His 
agony  in  Gethsemane,  "  there  appeared  an  angel  unto  Him 
from  heaven,  strengthening  Him."  Luke  xxii.  43. 

Angels  "  excel"  men  in  strength  of  person,  in  strength  of 
will,  in  strength  of  affection,  and  in  strength  of  judgment. 
No  effort  exhausts  their  powers ;  no  passing  consideration 
turns  them  from  their  purpose ;  no  secondary  object  allures 
them  from  their  "  first  love"  to  God ;  and  no  fair  appear- 
ances, or  specious  arguments,  beguile  them  to  a  false  con- 
clusion. With  clear  intellects,  they  apprehend  God's  mes- 
sages ;  with  loving  hearts,  they  hasten  to  fulfil  them ;  with 
steadfast  determination,  they  pursue  each  particular  to  its 
completion ;  and  with  irresistible  power,  they  successfully 
execute  the  whole  will  of  God. 

Such  is  the  characteristic  endowment  of  angels  :  "  they  ex- 
cel in  strength  :"  the  Psalmist  also  informs  us  that  "  they 
do  God's  commandments."  Of  the  outward  life  of  angels, 
and  how  they  are  engaged,  we  know  nothing  more  than  this 
verse  inform  us.     One  word  expresses  it  all ;  and  that  word 

12 


266      CALL  TO  UNIVEESAL  GRATITUDE — ^ANGELS. 

is  Obedience — a  word  engraven  on  the  hearts  of  angels. 
Oh,  that  it  had  never  been  obliterated  from  the  hearts  of 
men  !  Angelic  life  is  an  unvarying  obedience.  Their  will 
is  pliant  with  the  will  of  God.  They  do  nothing  of  their 
own  motion ;  and  yet  they  do  everything  with  their  full  con- 
sent. When  they  rest,  it  is  in  obedience, — God  has  bid 
them  rest.  When  they  wait,  it  is  in  obedience, — God  has 
bid  them  wait.  He  says  to  one,  Go ;  and  he  goeth  :  to  an- 
other, Come ;  and  he  cometh.  Their  songs  of  praise  are 
rendered,  not  only  in  gratitude,  but  also  in  obedience.  That 
"  God  wills  it,"  is  their  grand  motive,  the  powerful  main- 
spring of  all  their  actions.  Their  outward  life  is  a  continual 
and  perfect  doing  of  the  will  of  Him  who  is  holy,  and  just, 
and  good.  No  murmur  lurks  in  an  angel's  breast.  No 
questioning  rises  upon  an  angel's  lips.  No  hesitation  or 
short-coming  is  visible  in  an  angel's  act.  All  is  loyalty  and 
readiness  within.  All  is  acquiescence  and  cheerfulness  on 
his  tongue.  All  is  promptitude  and  performance  in  his  hand. 
Man  either  does  not,  or  half  does  ;  but  the  angels  DO  God's 
commandments  thoroughly  and  constantly,  willingly  and 
joyfully,  perseveringly  and  universally. 

Such  is  the  outward  life  of  angels  ;  "  they  do  God's  com- 
mandments." They  spend  their  existence  in  a  perfect  circle 
of  obedience.  And  why  ?  Because,  adds  the  Psalmist, 
they  "  hearken  to  the  voice  of  His  word."  This  precious 
declaration  gives  us  an  insight  into  their  inward  spirit.  It 
is  not  said  :  "  who  hear  the  voice  of  His  word  ;"  but,  "  who 
hearken  to  the  voice  of  His  word."  The  angels  are  eager 
to  catch  the  slightest  intimation  of  the  Divine  will.     They 


CALL  TO   UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE— ANGELS.      267 

listen.     They  watch.     "They  hearken."     They  listen,  be- 
cause they  love.     They  watch,  because  they  wish  to  obey. 
They  hearken,  because  they  desire  to  learn.     It  is  no  indif- 
ferent matter  to  an  angel  whether  God  is  obeyed  or  not. 
He  is  not  regardless  whether  he  hear  correctly  and  fully 
what  his  Lord  has  uttered.     It  is  to  him  a  matter  of  the 
most  intense  and  absorbing  consideration,  that  God  should 
be  obeyed— obeyed  universally  by  all  His  creatures,  and 
obeyed  especially  by  himself.      The  minutest   point— the 
smallest  jot  and  tittle  in  His  law,  obtains  an  angel's  full  and 
perfect  attention.     Therefore  his  position  is  that  of  one  who 
"  barkens  to  the  voice  of  His  word" — who  desires  to  know 
what  his  Lord  is  saying— who  is  eager  to  learn  all  His  holy 
will.     An  angel  hearkens  not  only  to  His  word,  but  to  the 
"  voice"  of  it ;  that  is,  to  the  sound  and  meaning  of  it.     He 
does  not  listlessly  wait,  like  a  heartless  earthly  servant,  till 
the  word  fall  so  loud  and  strong  upon  his  ear,  as  to  leave 
him  no  excuse  for  pretended  misapprehension  and  consequent 
inaction ;  but  on  the  contrary,  the  moment  that  the  slightest 
sound  is  heard,  that  instant,  in  reverent  attention,  the  en- 
tire faculties  of  an  angel  are  turned  to  hearken— suffering 
not  the  slightest  syllable  to  escape ;  and  anxious  to  ascertain 
the  precise,  and  the  entire  meaning  of  "  every  word  that 
proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lord." 

Such  is  the  inward  spirit  of  an  angel.  He  is  willing,  and 
ready,  and  eager  to  obey  ;  and  therefore  he  "hearkens"  that 
he  may  learn  what  his  Lord  requires  him  to  perform.  An 
angel  is  all  inward,  as  well  as  outward  obedience.  And 
thus  in  the  inward  spirit  joyfully,  and  in  the  outward  act 


268      CALL  TO   UNIVEESAL   GRATITUDE — ANGELS. 

completely,  the  angels  do  the  commandments  of  God  in  the 
world  above.  And  our  blessed  Saviour  has,  as  it  were,  com- 
manded us  never  to  take  any  lower  standard,  any  inferior 
example,  by  thus  teaching  us  to  pray,  "  Thy  will  be  done  on 
earth  as  it  is  done  in  heaven."  These  blessed  beings  assume 
no  merit,  and  claim  no  reward.  There  is  no  self  righteous- 
ness among  angels.  They  intuitively  say  after  they  have 
done  all,  "  We  are  unprofitable  servants,  we  have  only  done 
that  which  it  was  our  duty  to  do."  God  Himself  is  their 
joy — His  favor  their  highest  honor,  and  the  keeping  of  His 
commandments  their  great  reward.  Angels  are  upheld  by 
Divine  grace.  They  are  "  elect  angels,"  1  Tim.  i.  21 — they 
are  kept  by  the  power  of  God.  Not  by  their  personal 
holiness,  but  by  their  union  with,  and  dependence  upon, 
God,  they  overcome  the  power  of  temptation,  and  fall  not 
into  the  abyss  of  the  angels  that  sinned.  It  is  these  elect 
and  holy,  these  humble  and  obedient  angels,  whom  our  Re- 
deemer sets  before  us  as  our  pattern,  and  whom  the  Psalmist 
here  calls  upon  to  bless  their  Creator  :  "  Bless  the  Lord,  ye 
His  angels,  that  excel  in  strength,  that  do  His  command- 
ments, hearkening  to  the  voice  of  His  word." 

That  example  shall  be  attained — the  Lord's  prayer  shall 
be  answered.  Angels  excel  men  in  strength,  and,  in  that 
respect,  will  be  pre-eminent  over  man  for  ever  ;  but,  thank 
God,  there  is  a  time  coming  when  they  shall  not  excel  the 
redeemed  in  obedience,  or  in  willingness  of  spirit.  "We  shall 
love  as  the  angels.  We  shall  serve  as  the  angels.  We 
shall  do  God's  commandments  as  the  angels.  And  when  the 
world  is  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord,  then  shall 


CALL   TO    UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — ANGELS.      269 

the  will  of  our  Father  be  done  on  earth,  as  1$  is  done  in 
heaven.  And  in  the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth,  wherein 
dwelleth  righteousness,  angels  and  men  will  mingle  together 
in  their  service  and  their  song,  and  the  one  shall  not  outstrip 
the  other  in  loyalty  or  love,  or  excel  in  readiness,  or  in  con- 
stancy, or  in  universality  of  obedience. 

Angels  are  "  fellow-servants"  with  men.  They  stand  the 
highest  in  the  form  of  creature  being,  with  which  we  are  ac- 
quainted. Jesus  made  them  :  "  they  were  created  by  Him, 
and  for  Him."  Col.  i.  16.  The  Psalmist,  therefore,  in  con- 
temj^lating  the  great  duty  which  universal  being,  and  univer- 
sal nature,  owe  to  Him  as  the  Glorious  Creator,  appropri- 
ately begins  at  the  highest  point.  Jehovah-Jesus  must  be 
adored.  And  surely  if,  when  man  "  hold  their  peace,  the 
very  stones  would  cry  out,"  how  much  more  should  angels, 
when  the  highest  note  of  saints  falls  infinitely  below  His 
praise.  The  Spirit  saith,  "  Let  all  the  angels  of  God  wor- 
ship Him."  The  Psalmist  cannot  himself  express  all  the 
praises  of  his  Redeemer  ;  but  he  goes  in  thought  to  those 
who  will  express  them  for  Him.  He  cannot  raise  an  uni- 
versal song ;  but  he  will  do  all  that  in  him  lies  to  get  it 
raised  by  others.  Therefore,  he  here  calls  upon  the  angels 
to  "  bless"  the  Lord.  "  The  less  is,"  indeed,  "  blessed  of 
the  better ;"  but  when  the  best  condescends  to  accept  of 
the  blessing  of  the  least,  how  honored  does  the  creature  be- 
come in  the  bestowment !  God  honors  angels  by  allowing 
them  to  praise  Him ;  and  angels  bless  themselves  by  bless- 
ing God : 


270       CALL   TO    UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE^ — ANGELS. 

"  BleSiiJg  and  blest — sweet  honor,  sweet  employ ! 
Happy,  and  filling  every  heart  with  joy !" 

Gratitude  abounds  in  heaven.  Let  it  abound  for  ever ; 
and  let  it  eternally  increase.  Angels  are  the  chief  of  God's 
servants — ^let  them  be  the  chief  of  God's  worshippers.  Let 
them  set  the  example  to  the  whole  universe.  It  was  one, 
formerly  of  their  number,  who  struck  the  harp  out  of  man's 
hand,  and  broke  all  its  strings.  It  is,  therefore,  but  right 
that  they  should  now  sing  for  us,  as  well  as  for  themselves. 
Our  best  strings  are  not  entire,  but  only  mended.  The  mel- 
ody that  we  produce,  must  consequently  be  imperfect 
through  all  the  years  of  time.  Ere  long,  a  perfect  harp  will 
be  given  to  us  by  the  Divine  Hand  ;  its  strings  entire — its 
melody  sublime.  That  harp  will  never  be  unstrung,  never 
be  broken,  never  be  dashed  from  our  grasp.  Till  then,  we 
call  upon  the  angels  to  take  up  our  part.  The  song  must 
not  be  stopped — the  choir  must  not  be  silent,  because  man 
has  lost  his  powers.  Never,  for  an  instant,  let  our  Creator 
and  Redeemer  be  robbed  of  His  due  praise.  And  if  we 
may  say,  "  Sing,  O  ye  heavens ;  shout,  ye  lower  parts  of  the 
earth ;  break  forth  into  singing,  ye  mountains,  O  forest,  and 
every  tree  therein,"  Isa.  xliv.  23  ;  surely  we  may  also  say  : 
"  Bless  the  Lord,  ye  His  angels.  Praise  Him,  ye  archangels 
that  surround  His  throne.  Let  seraphim  to  cherubim  re- 
spond His  praise ;  and  all  ye  sons  of  God  who  have  never 
fallen,  shout  for  joy,  and  laud,  and  praise,  and  magnify  for 
ever  that  gracious  Lord  who  evermore  upholds  you." 

Not  that  in  thus  addressing  angels,  the  Psalmist  conceived 
that  his  voice  could  reach  their  ear,  or  that  the  beings  of  an- 


CALL  TO   UNIVERSAL  GRATITUDE — ANGELS.       271 

Other  world  can  be  affected  by  the  words  of  men.  But  there 
is  a  spirit  in  man  which  feels  its  affinity  with  that  higher 
world,  and  which  soars  often  toward  it.  Our  spirit  finds  it- 
self pent  and  circumscribed  by  the  body  of  flesh  ;  and  while 
it  can  only  speak  by  the  human  tongue,  and  see  by  the  nat- 
ural eye,  and  hear  by  the  outward  ear,  it  has  yearnings 
which  outstrip  the  voice,  and  thoughts  more  rapid  than  the 
rays  of  light,  and  impressions  more  delicate  than  the  sounds 
of  earth.  The  human  spirit  feels  itself  imprisoned.  It  can 
enjoy  no  actual  converse  with  angel  spirits.  Yet  still  it  feels 
as  if  it  could,  but  for  this  heavy  clay  : — it  knows  that  it  shall, 
when  it  leaves  this  tenement  of  flesh.  And  this  is  what  its 
yearnings  inwardly  say ;  yea,  this  is  what  it  would  actually 
say  to  angels,  could  it  reach  them  :  "  Bless  the  Lord,  ye  His 
angels,  that  excel  in  strength,  that  do  His  commandments, 
hearkening  to  the  voice  of  His  word."  And  as  the  cheru- 
bim cry  one  to  another  as  they  fly  around  the  throne  of 
glory,  so  we  may  suppose  will  the  spirits  of  redeemed  men, 
and  the  spirits  of  unfallen  angels,  incite  each  other  in  heaven 
above,  to  raise  new  themes  of  praise,  to  bless  with  greater 
fervency  of  blessing,  and  to  adore  with  ever-increasing  ador- 
ation. 

But  it  is  not  the  mere  human  spirit  of  David  that  is  here 
addressing  the  angelic  beings,  it  is  the  Spirit  of  God — it  is 
"  the  Lord  the  Spirit."  2  Cor.  iii.  18.  Margin.  The  vari- 
ous addresses  to  the  heavens  and  to  the  earth,  to  animated 
beings  and  to  inanimate  things,  which  the  Psalms  and  the 
books  of  the  Prophets  contain,  are  not  mere  bursts  of  im- 
passioned feeling,  mere  figures  and  apostrophes  of  human 


272       CALL  TO   UNIVERSAL  GEATITUBE — ANGELS. 

eloquence  :  they  are  the  sober  and  the  deliberate  utterances 
of  that  Mighty  Spirit,  by  whose  creative  energy  they  were 
all  brought  into  being,  and  who,  when  resisted  by  men,  takes 
heaven  and  earth  to  witness  against  human  ingratitude,  Isa. 
i.  2;  Jer.  ii.  12 ;  xxii.  29;  Micah.  vi.  1 — 3,  and  who,  when 
man  is  silent,  calls  upon  every  part  of  the  creation  to  take 
up  the  hymn  of  praise.  Psalms  cxlviii.  cl.  It  is  this  Di- 
vine Spirit  who  here  calls  all  created  things  and  beings  to 
the  high  duty  and  privilege  of  thanksgiving.  The  Father 
glorifies  the  Son — the  Eternal  Son  glorifies  the  Father — 
and  the  Holy  Spirit  glorifies  both — by  whom,  and  with 
whom.  He  is  likewise  glorified.  The  Spirit  of  God  who 
"  moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters,"  has  a  right  to  move 
His  influences  when  and  where,  upon  whom  and  upon  what- 
soever. He  pleases.  He  has  a  right  to  call  upon  the  highest 
and  the  lowest  intelligences  to  glorify  Jehovah  ;  and  by  His 
own  power  to  summon  them,  and  all  created  things,  saying, 
"  Fulfil  the  end  of  your  creation  !"  "  The  Lord  the  Spirit" 
has  a  right  to  publish  this  call  by  any,  and  by  every,  means 
in  the  whole  universe,  which  He  may  condescend  to  employ. 
He  may  send  it  directly  by  His  own  voice,  or  by  the  me- 
dium of  angels.^  or,  as  in  this  Psalm,  by  the  instrumentality 
of  man.  He  may  cause  it  to  be  engraven  on  a  rock,  or 
printed  in  a  book,  to  be  made  visible  to  the  eye,  if  He  so 
pleases,  as  well  as  audible  to  the  ear. 

We  must  remember  also  that  these  addresses  were  not 
Avritten  merely  for  the  time  then  present,  nor  for  the  time 
that  now  is,  but  also  for  that  which  is  to  come.  The  Book 
of  Inspiration  is  the  Bible  of  the  future,  equally  as  of  the 


CALL  TO    I'NIVEUSAL   GKATITUDE— ANGELS.       273 

past  and  of  the  present.  The  mind  of  the  Spirit  went  be- 
yond the  mind  of  David  and  of  Isaiah,  when  He  used  their 
pens.  HE  wrote  for  all  ages.  Thus,  for  instance,  speaking 
of  the  great  coming  struggle  in  the  day  of  the  Lord,  it  is 
said,  "  He  hath  bid  His  guests."  Zeph.  i.  7.  The  invitation 
was  written  also  by  St.  John,  as  heralded  by  an  angel  hun- 
dreds of  years  ago  in  these  terms,  "  To  all  the  fowls  that  fly 
in  the  midst  of  heaven.  Come,  and  gather  yourselves  to- 
gether unto  the  supper  of  the  great  God  :  that  ye  may  eat 
the  flesh  of  kings,  and  the  flesh  of  captains,  and  the  flesh  of 
mighty  men,  and  the  flesh  of  horses,  and  of  them  that  sit  on 
them,  and  the  flesh  of  all  men,  both  free  and  bond,  both 
small  and  great."  Rev.  xix.  17.  Those  very  kings,  though 
not  yet  reigning  upon  earth,  are  addressed  and  forewarned 
by  the  mercy  of  the  same  Spirit  in  the  second  Psalm,  "  Be 
wise,  therefore,  O  ye  kings  ;  be  instructed,  ye  judges  of  the 
earth  :  serve  the  Lord  with  fear,  and  rejoice  with  trembling. 
Kiss  the  Son  lest  He  be  angry,  and  ye  perish  from  the  way, 
when  his  wrath  is  kindled  but  a  little." 

In  like  manner  as  these  "  guests"  are  invited  beforehand 
for  the  '•  day  of  the  great  slaughter,"  so  all  creation  is  pre- 
engaged  in  this  Psalm,  by  the  same  Spirit,  for  the  day  of 
praise.  The  complete  fulfilment  of  this  invitation  from  the 
Spirit  of  God,  is  reserved  to  that  future  period.  These 
words  are  recorded,  not  as  David's  but  as  "  the  Lord  the 
Spirit's"  public,  perpetual,  and  standing  invitation  ;  fulfilled, 
fulfilling,  and  to  be  fulfilled— gloriously  going  on  to  its  grand 
and  universal  accomplishment.  Then  all  the  "  angels,"  "  all 
the  hosts,"  and  "  all  the  works"  of  the  Lord,  will  be  heard  # 

12* 


27^1      CALL   TO   UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — ANGELS. 

sweetly  and  harmoniously,  powerfully  and  unceasingly, 
blessing  His  great  and  glorious  name. 

Reader,  do  you  feel  interested  that  angels  should  bless 
their  Lord  1  Having  lost  the  ability  to  pay  the  tribute  of 
perfect  praise,  are  you  the  more  anxious  that  it  should  be 
paid  by  others  ?  Or  have  you  so  little  love  for  your  Lord, 
that  it  matters  not  to  you  whether  angels  bless  Him  or  not  1 
Cold-hearted  ingrate  !  you  will  never  call  on  others,  oh  that 
God  would  call  on  you  to  praise  Him.  Tremble  for  your- 
self, lest  Satan's  wail  may  become  your  only  note.  If  not 
one  in  spirit  with  the  angels  of  light,  you  must  become  one 
with  the  angels  of  darkness,  except  you  repent.  Oh  haste 
you  to  your  closet.  Fall  upon  your  knees.  Cry  mightily 
to  God  for  pardon.  Ask  Him  to  warm,  to  soften,  to  enlarge, 
your  cold,  hard,  selfish  heart.  Ask  Him  to  fill  you  with  His 
own  Spirit — the  Spirit  Avho  will  unite  you  to  Jesus,  and 
through  Him  to  all  who  are  good  and  holy  in  heaven  and 
earth — ^the  Spirit  who  will  harmonize  your  spirit  with  the 
worship  of  saints  and  angels,  constraining  you  to  rejoice, 
and  to  thank  God,  that  their  notes  are  not  like  your  own, 
but  clear  and  full  and  sinless  and  unceasing. 

Reader,  the  angels  are  blessing  God  day  and  night !  What 
are  you  doing  ?  Are  you  often  praising,  or  oftener  sighing  '? 
Bless  God,  I  beseech  you,  night  and  day — in  trouble  and  in 
sunshine ;  your  trouble  might  be  greater,  your  sunshine 
might  be  less.  Job  blessed  God  in  the  midst  of  calamities. 
Angels  are  blessing  God  in  the  midst  of  joys.  Job  had  an 
angel's  spirit,  and  his  soul  has  long  attained  to  an  angel's 


CALL   TO    UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — ANGELS.      275 

position.  Be  like  Job  in  heart  now,  that  you  may  be  like* 
an  angel  in  happiness  hereafter.  Bless  God  with  the  Patri- 
arch through  the  dark  night  of  time,  that  you  may  bless  God 
with  the  angels  throughout  the  bright  day  of  eternity. 


XVIII. 

ALL  THE  HOSTS  OF  THE  LORD. 

Bless  ye  the  Lord,  all  ye  His  hosts  :  ye  ministers  of  His,  that 
do  His  pleasure. — Verse  21. 

The  preceding  verse  presented  the  angels  before  us  as  in 
a  time  of  peace,  each  individually  engaged  in  attending  to 
his  own  particular  duty — fulfilling  the  commands  of  God, 
and  hearkening  to  His  voice.  This  verse  appears  to  present 
the  angels  to  view — at  least  a  large  proportion  of  them — 
as  in  a  time  of  war,  as  assembled  and  marshalled  together 
in  a  collective  capacity,  ready,  with  united  energy  and 
powder,  to  execute  the  pleasure  of  their  Lord.  Having  ad- 
dressed angels  as  moral  and  spiritual  agents,  the  Psalmist 
now  addresses  them  as  ministering  and  instrumental  agents. 
There  he  viewed  them  as  he  "  messengers"  of  the  Most 
High  ;  here  he  regards  them  as  the  "  armies"  of  His  empire. 

The  Scriptures  plainly  indicate  that  there  are  various 
ranks  and  orders  of  beings  included  under  the  general  title 
of  "  angels."  St.  Peter,  however,  makes  a  threefold  dis- 
tinction, when  he  says  that  "  angels,  and  authorities,  and 
powers,  are  made  subject  unto  Christ."  1  Pet.  iii.  22.     St. 


ALL   THE   HOSTS   OF   THE   LORD.  277 

Paul  speaks  of  "  principalities  and  powers  in  the  heavenly 
places,"  Eph.  iii.  10,  and  also  of  "  thrones  and  dominions." 
Col.  i.  16.  The  term  "  angel "  comprehends  them  all ;  but 
strictly  signifies  "  messenger,"  "  one  who  is  sent ;"  and, 
in  harmony  with  the  classification  by  St.  Peter,  we  would 
consider  "  angels"  as  peaceful  messengers,  to  be  specially 
addressed  by  the  Psalmist  in  the  20th  verse  ;  and  angels,  as 
"  authorities  and  powers"  assembled  for  action,  to  be  more 
immediately  intended  in  the  verse  before  us,  as  "  the  hosts 
of  the  Lord." 

Of  these  "  hosts,"  the  Lord  Jesus,  in  His  human  nature, 
is  appointed  chief.  When  the  Second  Person  in  the  ever- 
blessed  Trinity  appeared  as  a  "  Man"  to  Joshua,  He  appro- 
priated to  Himself  this  remarkable  title — "  Captain  of  the 
host  of  the  Lord,"  and  required  Diviile  worship  to  be  offered. 
Josh.  V.  15,  (compared  with  Exod.  iii.  5.)  And,  again, 
w^hen  the  same  glorious  Person  revealed  Himself  to  John,  in 
vision,  as  going  forth  "  in  righteousness,  to  judge  and  to 
make  war,"  we  read  that  the  "  armies  which  were  in  heaven 
followed  Him."  Rev.  xix.  14.  And  well  may  it  be  asked, 
"  Is  there  any  number  of  His  armies  ?"  Job  xxv.  3.  Our* 
blessed  Saviour  had  but  to  ask,  and  presently  His  Father 
would  have  given  Him  more  than  twelve  legions  of  angels. 
Matt.  xxvi.  53.  In  the  great  moral  conflict  for  our  redemp- 
tion, when  Jesus,  on  the  cross,  "  spoiled  "  the  "  principalities 
and  powers"  of  darkness,  and  triumphed  over  them  ;  Col.  ii. 
15,  and  when  "  He  ascended  on  high  and  led  captivity  cap- 
tive," these  hosts  of  angels  were  spectators  merely.  The 
"  twenty  thousand,  even  thousands  of  angels"  who  are  as 


278  CALL  TO   UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — 

the  chariots  of  God,  Psa.  ixviii.  17,  18,  stood  looking  on,  as 
did  the  hosts  of  Israel,  when  David,  single-handed,  slew 
Goliath.  And  when,  returning  from  that  glorious  victor}-, 
The  Conqueror  appeared  before  the  gates  of  heaven,  and  ad- 
mittance at  the  everlasting  doors  was  demanded  for  Him, 
as  the  King  of  glory, — not  more  certainly  w^as  the  question 
asked,  "  Who  is  this  King  of  glory  ?"  than  it  was  triumph- 
antly, and  appropriately  answered,  "  The  Lord  strong  and 
mighty,  the  Lord  mighty  in  battle  :  the  Lord  of  hosts,  He 
is  the  King  of  glory."  Psa.  xxiv.  But  in  the  coming  strug- 
gle at  the  end  of  time,  similarly  as  we  suppose  in  the  con- 
flict before  time  began,  the  angels  will  be  personally  engaged. 
Speaking  of  the  vision  of  the  future,  which  he  saw,  St.  John 
says,  "  There  was  war  in  heaven.  Michael  fought,  and  his 
angels  ;  and  the  Dragdii  fought,  and  his  angels."  Rev.  x.  ii.  7. 
These  angels,  under  Michael,  are  the  "  hosts  of  the  Lord." 
Nor  these  alone.  "  Host"  is  a  military  term  ;  it  has  a  most 
comprehensive  signification  in  earthly  warfare.  The  men 
of  all  arms,  and  of  all  nations,  whoever  are  found  marshalled 
together  in  one  army,  to  fight  on  one  side,  and  in  one  cause, 
are  called  "^  the  host."  And  as  the  Psalmist  uses  the  plural 
number^  and  the  comprehensive  monosyllable  "  all,"  we 
must  fix  our  attention  not  only  upon  the  conspicuous  leaders 
of  the  van,  but  likewise  on  all  those  who  follow  in  the  rear ; 
and  on  everything  that  is  summoned  by  the  glorious  Jehovah 
to  execute  the  purposes  of  His  almighty  will.  By  the  words, 
"all  the  hosts,"  we  therefore  understand  the  Psalmist  as 
presenting  before  us  the  various  assemblages  of  animated 
beings,  and,  in  a  subordinate  sense,  of  inanimate  things,  that 


ALL   THE    HOSTS   OF   THK    LORD  279 

have  been  known  at  any  time,  to  be  marshalled  on  the 
Lord's  side,  and  that  may  be  called  forth  in  His  service  to 
punish  sinners,  or  to  destroy  His  enemies.  To  all  such,  we 
consider  the  Spirit  as  virtually  saying  by  the  Psalmist : 
"  Stand  ready  and  loyal.  Be  prepared  to  act  on  the  Lord's 
side — and  bless  your  Creator  by  your  prompt,  unswerving, 
and  perfect  execution  of  His  pleasure." 

It  is  delightful  to  know  that  there  are  hosts  of  conscious, 
and  of  unconscious,  agents,  who,  as  "  ministers,"  that  is 
servants,  do  God's  pleasure.  Accustomed  as  we  are  in  this 
rebellious  province  of  Plis  empire,  to  feel  so  much  opposi- 
tion in  our  fallen  nature  to  His  laws,  and  to  see  so  many  en- 
gaged only  in  the  performance  of  their  own  pleasure,  it  is 
refreshing  to  turn  to  the  contemplation  of  these  fliithful 
hosts.  Even  on  our  earth  there  is  more  obedience  to  our 
God  in  the  unintelligent,  than  there  is  in  the  intelligent  crea- 
tion :  "  The  winds  and  the  seas  obey  Him."  God  calls  the 
locusts  and  other  insects,  "  My  great  army."  Joel  ii.  25. 
David  testifies  of  the  "  fire  and  hail,  snow  and  vapor,  and 
stormy  wind,  as  fulfilling  His  word."  Psa.  cxlviii.  8.  And 
regarding  "  hail,"  we  read  that  there  "  were  more"  of  the 
enemies  of  the  Lord  in  the  battle  at  Gibeon,  '*  who  died  with 
hailstones,  than  they  whom  the  children  of  Israel  slew  with 
the  sword."  Josh.  x.  11. 

Everything  praises  and  blesses  God  by  fulfilling,  first, 
the  gfeneral  object  of  creation,  and  secondly,  the  special 
service  to  which  it  is  appointed.  This  rule  applies  equally 
to  the  animate  as  to  the  inanimate,  alike  to  the  mightiest 
principalities  and  powers,  and  to  the  most  insignificant  things 


280  CALL   TO    UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — 

that  fulfil  the  great  purposes  of  Jehovah.  All  these  are 
arranged  and  appointed  by  God,  and  are  liable  to  be  called 
any  moment  into  active  service  by  Him,.  The  Psalmist 
therefore  addresses  them  as  His  ministers  or  servants,  and 
calls  on  them  to  bear  their  part  in  the  universal  worship 
due,  of  praise  and  of  obedience :  "  Bless  the  Lord,  all  ye 
His  hosts,  ye  ministers  of  His  that  do  His  pleasure." 

The  "  angels"  being  all  intelligent  agents,  are  capable  of 
"  doing  God's  commandments."  They  can  receive  and  un- 
derstand an  order,  and  they  can  knowingly  and  intentionally 
set  themselves  to  perform  it.  But  "  the  hosts  of  the  Lord," 
being  not  all  intelligent  agents,  are  here  appropriately 
spoken  of  as  "  doing  His  pleasure."  They  are  capable  of 
executing  what  He  requires,  or  He  would  never  require  it 
of  them  ;  therefore,  let  them  fulfil  it — ^let  them  at  all  times, 
and  on  all  occasions,  and  in  every  variety  of  circumstances, 
bless  their  Great  Creator,  their  Almighty  Ruler,  by  uniform- 
ly, and  j^erseveringly,  and  unitedly,  doing  His  pleasure  in 
heaven  above  and  on  earth  beneath. 

These  addresses  of  the  Spirit  by  the  Psalmist,  say  in 
effect :  "  Let  there  be  harmony  in  the  universe  !"  Rebellion 
commenced  in  heaven.  It  has  extended  to  our  globe.  We 
trust  that  no  other  world  than  our  own,  has  been  involved 
in  its  guilt.  This  much,  however,  we  know,  that  on  this 
globe  it  is  to  be  terminated.  Thank  God  that  we  know  this 
fact.  The  devil,  with  every  one  who  kept  not  his  first 
estate,  is  to  be  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,  which  is  the  second 
death.  Rev.  xx.  10,  14.  That  foul  rebellion — that  un- 
natural civil  war  in  heaven — though  it  commenced  on  high, 


ALL   THE   HOSTS   OF  THE   LORD.  281 

and  whithersoever  it  may  have  extended,  is  to  be  crushed, 
and  concluded  here  below.  Satan's  lies  and  artful  misrep- 
resentations of  his  Maker,  will  be  sifted  to  the  bottom  ere 
the  sands  of  time  run  out.  Every  insinuation  will  then 
stand  exposed — every  aspersion  disproved — ^^every  calumny 
refuted.  Ample  time  and  opportunity  have  been  granted 
him  to  solve  his  problem,  and  to  prove  his  several  points  of 
accusation.  That  problem  he  can  never  solve.  Those  ac- 
cusations he  can  never  prove.  And  when  the  grand  expla- 
nation DAY  arrives,  he  will  be  covered  w^ith  everlasting 
shame,  and  God  with  everlasting  glory.  He  will  then  be 
demonstrated  to  the  whole  universe  to  be,  what  "  The  Faith- 
ful Witness,"  whom  he  put  to  death,  declared,  "  The  Father 
of  Lies — in  whom  there  is  no  truth."  John  viii.  44.  By 
one  lie,  he  deceived  a  portion  of  his  brother  angels.  By 
another  lie,  he  seduced  our  first  parents  ;  and  for  well-nigh 
six  thousand  years,  he  has  been  whispering  falsehood  by  his 
agents  into  the  ear  of  every  human  being.  His  object  is  to 
misrepresent  the  character  of  God — to  make  us  believe  that 
He  does  not  really  care  for  us — that  he  would  keep  us  in 
ignorance,  and  deny  us  many  things  that  are  really  good  for 
us.  The  poor  creature  who  believes  this  calumny,  feels  and 
says,  "  I  must  take  care  of  myself.  I  must  do  what  I  judge 
to  be  most  conducive  to  my  own  advantage.  And  as  to 
touching  this,  or  not  taking  that,  I  must  be  overruled  by  no 
restrictions,  but  those  which  appear  right  to  my  own  mind." 
Thus  is  fought  over  again,  in  every  human  breast,  that  fatal 
battle  which  the  principles  of  good  and  evil  waged  within 
the  heart  of  Eve  as  she  gazed  at  the  forbidden  tree.     Even 


282  CALL  TO   UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — 

in  her  pure  mind,  self  rose  uppermost — her  own  supposed 
interests  gained  the  ascendency — the  calumny  was  believed 
— God  was  distrusted — and  disobedience  to  Him,  and  obe- 
dience to  her  own  dictates,  were  the  immediate  results. 
This  victory  gained  over  such  a  mind,  makes  Satan  vaunt 
that  he  can  conquer  easily  her  fallen  children. 

God  wishes  to  impress  the  truth  of  His  real  character 
upon  our  minds.  Satan  desires  to  impress  his  own  misrep- 
resentations of  that  character.  Truth  says,  God  is  love. 
Satan  says,  God  is  not  love  to  you.  Truth  says,  God  careth 
for  you.  Satan  says,  God  careth  only  for  Himself.  Truth 
says,  Love  and  serve  God.  Satan  says,  Love  and  serve  your- 
self. The  reception  within  the  heart,  of  either  of  these  op- 
posite statements,  produces  its  natural  effects  in  the  life  and 
action.  He  who  believes  that  God  is  love,  and  that  He 
careth  for  him,  will  love  and  serve  God  in  return,  will  praise 
and  bless  His  name.  He  who  believes  that  God  is  not  love, 
and  careth  not  for  him,  will  love  and  serve  himself.  God 
knows  that  this  will  be  the  immediate  and  necessary  result, 
and  therefore  He  demands  our  faith.  Satan  also  knows  that 
this  will  be  the  inevitable  consequence,  and  therefore  he  stirs 
up  our  belief.  And  is  Satan  to  be  credited  in  preference  to 
the  Most  High  ? — Is  the  calumny  against  their  Creator  to  be 
universally  believed  by  the  creatures  He  has  made?  No. 
By  the  Divine  grace  we  answer.  No.  A  host  of  witnesses 
from  the  beginning  have  denounced  the  falsehood,  disowned 
the  calumny,  rejected  the  misrepresentation.  In  every  age, 
and  in  every  generation,  God  has  "  reserved  to  Himself" 
some  "  seven  thousand,"  who  believed  in  His  true  character, 


ALL   THE    HOSTS   OF   THE    LORD.  283 

and  who  loved,  and  served,  and  blessed  Him  with  their 
whole  souls.  The  Psalmist  was  one  of  these.  His  loyal 
heart  beat  strong  with  desire  for  victory  over  sin  and  Satan, 
over  falsehood  and  misrerepsentation.  He  knew  that  God 
had  been  calumniated  in  heaven  above,  and  on  earth  be- 
neath :  therefore  he  calls  on  all  the  hosts  of  the  Lord  to  re- 
ject the  calumny,  and  to  wage  war  with  the  calumniator : 
therefore  he  calls  upon  his  own  soul,  and  upon  the  whole  uni- 
verse, to  praise  and  bless  The  Good,  The  Wise,  The  Just, 
The  Holy,  whose  heart  is  love,  whose  laws  are  right,  whose 
character  is  spotless. 

Oh !  rise,  ye  hosts  of  the  Lord,  and  "  bless  His  holy 
name."  Declare  that  ye  are  for  ever  on  His  side,  and 
*'  bless  His  holy  name."  As  ministers  and  servants,  do  His 
pleasure  in  preference  to  your  own,  and  "bless  his  holy 
name."  "  Oh  all  ye  powers  of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord, 
praise  Him  and  magnify  Him  for  ever.  O  all  ye  servants 
of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord,  praise  Him  and  magnify 
Him  for  ever." 

There  shall  be  harmony  in  the  universe.  The  lie  of  Sa- 
tan will  be  disproved,  and  the  liar  himself  will  be  silenced. 
All  who  believed  the  lie  will  be  "  convinced"  at  last  of  its 
falsity — and  all  who  took  part  with  its  framer  will  be  made 
partakers  of  his  punishment.  Both  men  and  devils  will  be 
forced  to  acknowledge  that  God  is  holy,  and  just,  and  good. 
The  sentence  will  not  only  be  pronounced  upon  the  wicked 
by  the  mouth  of  the  Judge,  but  it  will  also  be  pronounced 
within  each  of  them  by  his  own  conscience.  The  lie  will 
have  become  transparent,  and  the  truth  transparent  also : 


284  CALL   TO    UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — 

and  throughout  the  long  eternity,  no  lost  spirit,  no  ruined 
man,  will  be  heard  any  longer  finding  fault  with  God ; 
but  each  will  then  find  fault  with  himself,  and  throughout  the 
depths  of  his  own  consciousness  there  will  resound  this  bit- 
ter aggravation  of  his  never-ending  misery,  "  I  deserve  all  I 
suffer — I  deserve  all  I  suffer." 

There  shall  be  harmony  in  the  universe.  God  will  be 
acquitted,  even  by  His  enemies,  and  "justified  by  all  His 
children."  The  recoil  of  falsehood  will  be  universal  before 
the  advance  of  truth.  "  Every  eye  shall  see"  Jesus  seated 
on  His  glorious  throne.  Those  who  heard  of  Him  only  by 
"  the  hearing  of  the  ear,"  will  then,  too  late,  abhor  them- 
selves, and  unavailingly  repent  in  fa^e  and  ashes.  The  dev- 
ils, who  now  "  believe  and  tremble,"  in  anticipation  of  theii* 
doom,  will  then  be  overwhelmed  under  its  terrible  realiza- 
tion. 

There  shall  be  harmony  in  the  universe.  No  opposing 
sentiments  will  be  uttered — no  disobedience  manifested — ^no 
self-will  exhibited.  A  time  is  coming,  when  an  angel  may 
fly  round  the  universe,  and  no  one  will  gainsay  his  testimony 
for  God.  He  may  visit  every  different  nation  on  our  globe, 
and  find  every  one  of  its  inhabitants  loving  Jesus,  and  doing 
the  will  of  God  on  earth  as  it  is  done  in  heaven.  The  ele- 
ments will  not  strive.  The  brute  creation  will  not  quarrel. 
Every  man  will  love  his  brother.  And  the  whole  universe 
will  show  forth  the  glorious  attributes  of  Jehovah.  Heaven 
will  declare  that  God  is  love.  Hell  will  attest  that  God  is 
just.  Creation  will  demonstrate  that  God  is  strong.  Time 
will  have  manifested  that  God  is  wise  and  good.     Angels 


ALL   THE   HOSTS   OF  THE   LORD.  285 

will  assert  that  God  is  holy.  Devils  will  confess  that  God 
is  unchangeable.  The  redeemed  will  exclaim  that  He  is  true 
to  His  promises.  The  lost  will  declare  that  He  is  faithful 
to  His  threateniugs.  Thus  all  God's  attributes  will  be  irra- 
diated and  glorified.  Eternity  will  display  them  all  in  their 
individual  fulness  and  perfection,  and  in  their  perfect  union 
and  harmony  of  operation. 

Before  that  glorious  calm  can  be  witnessed,  there  must 
be  heard  the  storm  of  war.  Not  more  certainly  will  the 
material  elements  contend  against  each  other,  and  the  founda- 
tions of  the  earth  be  shaken,  Isa.  xxiv.  18,  than  the  angels 
of  liojht  will  wasje  war  aojainst  the  anojels  of  darkness  :  "  It 
shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day  that  the  Lord  shall  punish 
the  hosts  of  the  high  ones  that  are  on  high,  and  the  kings  of 
the  earth  upon  the  earth.  And  they  shall  be  gathered  to- 
gether as  prisoners  are  gathered  in  the  pit,  and  shall  be  shut 
up  in  the  prison,  and  after  many  days  shall  they  be  visited. 
Then  the  moon  shall  be  confounded,  and  the  sun  ashamed, 
when  the  Lord  of  hosts  shall  reign  in  Mount  Zion,  and  in 
Jerusalem,  and  before  His  ancients  gloriously."  Isa.  xxiv. 
21—23. 

The  instruments  of  God  in  this  warfare,  are  here  addressed 
by  the  Lord  the  Spirit  through  the  mouth  of  David,  "  Bless 
ye  the  Lord,  all  ye  His  hosts  :  ye  ministers  of  His  that  do 
His  pleasure."  The  contest  now  is  against  the  principles, 
then  it  will  also  be  against  the  persons,  of  devils.  Michael 
will  fight  and  his  angels ;  and  the  Dragon  and  his  angels. 
The  progress  of  the  war  will  be  from  victory  to  victory,  and 
every  enemy  shall  be  subdued  for  ever.     In  His  own  good 


286      CALL  TO  UNIVERSAL  GRATITUDE — 

time  the  "  Captain  of  our  salvation"  will  lead  on  the  hosts 
of  the  Lord,  to  take  possession  of  the  earth,  Rev.  xix.  11  ; 
and  then  will  the  "  great  voices  be  heard  in  heaven,  saying, 
'  The  kingdoms  of  this  world  are  become  the  kingdoms  of 
our  Lord,  and  of  His  Christ ;  and  He  shall  reign  for  ever 
and  ever.' "  Rev.  xi.  15.  "  All  the  hosts  of  the  Lord" 
will  "  bless  the  Lord"  by  executing  His  pleasure  on  the 
usurper  of  His  throne,  and  the  calumniator  of  His  charac- 
ter. The  very  elements,  as  subordinate  agents,  will  "  bless 
the  Lord"  by  doing  His  pleasure  against  the  enemies  of 
their  Creator ;  fire  will  torment  them  for  ever  and  ever. 
Rev.  XX.  10. 

Reader  !  are  you  on  the  Lord's  side  1  Are  you  blessing 
God  by  contending  against  sin,  and  the  world,  and  the  devil  ? 
Can  your  fidelity  be  reckoned  on,  in  the  day  of  battle  1 
When*  unbelief  presents  itself  to  take  possession  of  your 
heart,  do  you  resist  it  ?  When  cares  would  gain  the  mas- 
tery, do  you  cast  them  down  1  When  riches  would  entice 
you,  do  you  refuse  to  become  their  slave  1  When  your  be- 
setting sin  returns  to  assail  you,  do  you  wrestle  hard  against 
it  in  secret  prayer  1  When  impatience^  fretjulness,  and  irri- 
table tempers^  rise  within,  do  you  indulge,  or  do  you  try  to 
master  them"?  When  coldness  and  ingratitude  steal  upon 
your  heart,  are  you  vigilant  to  assault  them  as  the  enemies 
of  your  Lord  %  Oh  "  be  faithful  unto  death,  and  Christ  will 
give  you  the  crown  of  life."  Call  not  these  small  sins. 
Goliath  despised  David  as  a  stripling,  yet  he  fell  by  his 
hand.  Perhaps  you  think  "  lukewarmness"  or  indifference, 
a  small  sin ;  but  so  abhorrent  is  it  to  your  God,  that  He 


ALL   THE   HOSTS   OF   THE   LORD.  287 

would  rather  have  you  altogether  "  cold."  Rev.  iii.  15. 
An  open  enemy  is  better  than  a  lukewarm  friend.  Reader, 
your  battlefield  is  in  your  own  heart.  If  you  have  no  war- 
fare there,  you  are  not  a  true  soldier  of  Christ.  More  dif- 
ficult is  it  to  fight  against  self,  than  against  all  the  hosts  of 
darkness.  Yet  fight  we  must,  against  both  the  one  and  the 
other,  in  the  name  of  our  Lord  and  by  the  Spirit  of  our 
God.  It  is  "  to  him  that  overcomes'*  that  all  the  promises 
are  made.  Rev.  ii.  7,  11,  17,  26;  iii.  5,  12,  21;  xxi.  7. 
And  Jiow  we  are  to  overcome,  we  are  graciously  informed, 
"  They  overcame  him  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  by  the 
word  of  their  testimony ;  and  they  loved  not  their  lives 
unto  the  death."  Rev.  xii.  11.  Bless  God  therefore,  and  be 
blessedof  Him  in  contending  against  every  sin  within,  and 
every  enemy  without.  Take  heed  that  you  never  act  the 
coward  and  the  traitor  in  the  day  of  battle.  Take  heed  that 
you  incur  not  wrath,  by  refusing  to  fight  for  God.  "  Curse 
ye  Meroz,  said  the  angel  of  the  Lord,  curse  ye  bitterly  the 
inhabitants  thereof:  because  they  came  not  to  the  help  of 
the  Lord,  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against  the  mighty." 
Judges  V.  23. 

Take  courage.  Christian  soldier.  Greater  is  He  that  is  for 
you,  than  all  they  that  can  come  against  you  :  "  Be  strong 
in  the  Lord,  and  in  the  power  of  His  might.  Put  on  the 
whole  armor  of  God,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  stand  against 
the  wiles  of  the  devil.  For  we  wrestle  not  against  flesh  and 
blood,  but  against  principalities,  against  powers,  against  the 
rulers  of  the  darkness  of  this  world,  against  spiritual  wick- 
edness in  high  places.     Wherefore  take  unto  you  the  whole 


288  CALL  TO   UNIVERSAL  GRATITUDE — 

armor  of  God,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  withstand  in  the  evil 
day,  and  having  done  all,  to  stand.  Stand  therefore,  having 
your  loins  girt  about  with  truth,  and  having  on  the  breast- 
plate of  righteousness  ;  and  your  feet  shod  with  the  prepa- 
ration of  the  gospel  of  peace ;  above  all,  taking  the  shield 
of  faith,  wherewith  ye  shall  be  able  to  quench  all  the  fiery 
darts  of  the  wicked.  And  take  the  helmet  of  salvation,  and 
the  sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  word  of  God  :  praying 
always  with  all  prayer  and  supplication  in  the  Spirit,  and 
watching  thereunto  with  all  perseverance  and  supplication 
for  all  saints."  Eph.  vi.  11—18.  Bless  God  with  all  His 
faithful  hosts  by  fighting  the  good  fight  of  faith,  "  doing  His 
pleasure"  continually,  in  preference  to  your  own.  The  time 
is  at  hand,  when  you  will  be  made  "  more  than  a  conqueror." 
Fear  no  enemy  but  sin,  and  you  will  have  no  other  enemy 
to  fear.  Sin  is  the  only  foe  that  can  separate  us  from  the 
Captain  of  our  salvation.  Strive,  therefore,  against  all  sin, 
and  you  will  be  enabled  to  say  with  the  Apostle,  "  I  am  per- 
suaded, that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor  princi- 
palities, nor  powers,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come, 
nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature,  shall  be  able 
to  separate  us  from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus 
our  Lord."  Rom.  viii.  38,  39. 


XIX. 

ALL   THE  WORKS    OF   THE   LORD. 

Bless  the  Lord,  all  His  -works,  in  all  places  of  His  doQ-nnion. — 
Verse  22. 

Haying  called  on  all  the  "  angels"  and  the  "  hosts"  of  the 
Lord,  to  bless  their  King,  the  heart  of  the  Psalmist  is  raised 
b}^  the  Spirit  with  yet  more  enlarged  and  intense  desires 
for  his  God  and  Saviour  to  be  glorified.  The  thought 
is  abhorrent  to  his  mind  that  any  part  of  creation  should 
be  silent  in  the  universal  chorus  of  praise.  Jehovah  is 
^forthy  to  be  magnified,  and  to  be  had  in  everlasting  honor. 
"  He  inhabiteth  eternity."  His  presence  pervadcth  the 
universe.  His  voice  called  creation  out  of  nothing.  His 
power  preserves  it  in  existence  every  moment.  Let  it 
all  therefore  show  forth  His  praise.  Let  not  a  spot  be 
found  in  heaven  or  earth  where  God  is  not  acknowledged. 
And  whatsoever  animate  or  inanimate  portion  of  the  wide 
universe  may  not  have  been  included  in  these  two  previous 
invitations,  the  inspired  Psalmist  here  calls  upon  it  to  bless 
and  to  glorify  its  Divine  Creator.  He  carefully  selects  the 
most  comprehensive  language  that  can  possibly  be  found ; 
and  in  few  but  forcible  terms  he  embraces  the  wliolc  circle 

13 


290      CALL  TO  UNIVERSAL  GRATITUDE — 

of  the  created  universe,  saying,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  all  His 
works,  in  all  places  of  His  dominion. 

Every  created  thing  blesses  its  Maker  by  occupying  the 
place,  and  accomplishing  the  purpose,  which  He  has  appoint- 
ed for  it.  "  All  God's  works,  in  all  places,"  are  here  cited 
to  loyalty  and  obedience.  The  universe  does  not  consist  of 
the  single  planet  on  which  we  live.  "  The  King  Eternal, 
immortal,  and  invisible,"  possesses  dominions  far  beyond 
the  ken  of  man.  The  Divine  Spirit,  therefore,  while  here 
speaking  with  human  words,  is  not  to  be  limited  by  human 
ignorance,  but  is  to  be  considered  according  to  His  own 
omniscience  as  calling  all  the  created  universe  to  the  per- 
formance of  its  highest  and  most  incumbent  duty,  in  fulfilling 
the  will  and  showing  forth  the  glory  of  the  Great  Creator. 
While  therefore  we  daily  bless  our  God  for  His  redeeming 
love  toward  our  fallen  race,  let  us  not  forget  to  send  our 
loyal  thoughts,  our  ardent  aspirations,  through  the  realms  of 
space,  and  say,  "  Wheresoever  the  King  of  kings  possesses 
a  dominion,  there  let  Him  possess  loyal  subjects.  How 
many  soever  may  be  the  worlds  which  the  Creator  has  made, 
throughout  them  all  for  ever,  let  Him  find  loving  hearts. 
In  every  part  of  the  wide  universe  which  He  has  filled  with 
matter  or  with  mind,  let  Him  receive  the  homage  of  grati- 
tude and  obedience  :  '  Bless  the  Lord,  all  His  works,  in  all 
places  of  His  dominion.'  " 

Never  let  us  lose  sight  of  this  revealed  truth,  that  all 
Creation  is  the  work  of  the  Triune  Jehovah.  The  Father 
created  all  things  by  The  Word,  through  the  Eternal  Spirit. 
"The  High  and  Holy  One  that  inhabiteth  eternity,"  has 


ALL  THE   WORKS   OF   THE   LORD.  291 

made  Himself  known  to  us  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  in  recog- 
nizing and  honoring  Him  as  the  Creator,  we  recognize  and 
honor  the  Father  also.  John  v.  23 ;  and  xiv.  7.  Oh  how 
it  magnifies  creation  in  the  eyes  of  a  believer,  and  endears 
it  to  his  heart,  when  he  remembers  that  his  gracious  Re- 
deemer formed  it. 

Jesus  is  the  Creator  :  "  All  things  were  made  by  Him  : 
and  without  Him  was  not  anything  made  that  was  made." 
John  i.  3.  Therefore  of  Jesus  it  is  written,  that  "  He  hath 
made  the  earth  by  His  power.  He  hath  established  the 
world  by  His  wisdom  ;  and  hath  stretched  out  the  heavens 
by  His  discretion."  Jer.  x.  10.  All  things  "  do  whatsoever 
He  commandeth  them  upon  the  face  of  the  world  in  the 
earth."  Job  xxxvii.  12.  Jesus  is  the  Creator  :  "  For  by 
Him  were  all  things  created,  that  are  in  heaven,  and  that 
are  in  earth,  visible  and  invisible,  whether  they  be  thrones, 
or  dommions,  or  principalities,  or  powers  :  all  things  were 
created  by  Him  and  for  Him :  and  He  is  before  all  things, 
and  by  Him  they  all  consist."  Col.  i.  16.  "  In  the  beginning 
was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word 
was  God."  John  i.  1.  "  In  the  beginning  God  created  the 
heaven  and  the  earth."  Gen.  i.  1.  It  was  God  the  Word 
"  who  spake  and  it  was  done  :  who  commanded  and  all 
things  stood  fast."  Psa.  xxxiii.  9.  A  time  has  come  to 
Jesus  in  the  world  above,  when,  as  The  God«Man,  "  all  the 
angels  of  God  worship  Him,"  Heb.  i.  6  ;  a  time  is  coming 
on  this  earth  when  "  all  nations  shall  call  Him  blessed,  and 
when  all  kings  shall  fall  down  before  Him."  Psa.  Ixxii. ;  and 
a  time  is  coming  in  the  wide  universe,  when  "  at  the  name 


292  CALL   TO    UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — • 

of  Jesus  every  knee  shall  bow,  of  things  in  heaven,  and 
things  in  earth,  and  all  things  under  the  earth :  and  when 
every  tongue  shall  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the 
glory  of  God  the  Father."  Phil.  ii.  10. 

How  glorious,  on  the  sixth  day,  must  have  been  the  scene 
when  Jesus,  the  great  Creator,  looked  on  every  thing  that  He 
had  made,  and  behold  it  was  "very  good."  Light  had 
sprung  out  of  darkness  at  His  command,  and  order  had 
arisen  out  of  confusion.  Waters  were  divided  by  His  word, 
the  vital  air  was  expanded,  the  habitable  earth  was  consoli- 
dated. Rich  foliage  and  sweet  fruits  adorned  the  trees  that 
never  grew ;  creatures  that  had  sprung  from  no  parents, 
roamed  in  air  and  earth  and  sea ;  and  man,  without  knowing 
childhood,  rose,  full-formed,  from  dust  to  manhood, — a  liv- 
ing image  of  his  Maker.  Oh  how  "  very  good"  was  our 
God  and  Saviour  to  give  them  being — ^how  "  very  good"  w^as 
the  being  which  He  gave.  How  glorious  was  creation ; 
when  the  earth  w\as  fresh,  and  the  sea  was  young  ;  when  the 
wind  first  spread  its  new-made  wing  ;  and  man  and  all  the 
creatures,  lived  and  moved  and  had  their  being  in  God. 
The  Creator  was  glorified  throughout  the  entire  creation. 
All  His  works  blessed  Him  in  all  places  of  His  dominion. 

Our  eyes  behold  creation  now,  only  under  the  curse.  God 
saw  it  in  its  primeval  bloom ;  and  the  Spirit  of  God  in  the 
Psalmist  here  fervently  desires  its  restoration.  Satan  has 
usurped  authority  over  the  globe.  He  could  take  Adam's 
kingship  and  gain  dominion  over  the  creatures ;  but  he 
could  not  take  the  Lord's ;  "  His  kingdom  still  ruleth  over 
all."     The  Bible  is  a  recorded  protest  against  Satan's 


ALL   THE    WORKS    OF   THE    LORD.  293 

USURPATION.  Every  subject  is  reiniiided  of  his  duty.  Tlie 
whole  creation  is  thus  expressly  summoned  to  give  in  its 
tribute  of  adoration  to  the  Only  True  God,  the  Universal 
King — "  Praise  ye  the  Lord  from  the  heavens :  Praise  Him 
in  the  heights.  Praise  ye  Him,  all  His  angels.  Praise  ye 
Him,  all  His  hosts.  Praise  ye  Him,  sun  and  moon.  Praise 
Him,  all  ye  stars  of  light.  Praise  Him  fe  heavens  of  heav- 
ens, and  ye  waters  that  be  above  the  heavens.  Let  them 
praise  the  name  of  the  Lord :  for  He  commanded,  and  they 
were  created.  Praise  the  Lord  from  the  earth,  ye  dragons, 
and  all  deeps :  Fire  and  hail ;  snow  and  vapors ;  stormy 
wind  fulfilling  His  word :  Mountains,  and  all  hills :  fruitful 
trees,  and  all  cedars :  Beasts,  and  all  cattle;  creeping  things 
and  flying  fowl :  Kings  of  the  earth,  and  all  people ;  princes, 
and  all  judges  of  the  earth :  Both  young  men,  and  maidens  ; 
old  men,  and  children  :  Let  them  praise  the  name  of  the 
Lord:  for  His  name  alone  is  excellent;  His  glory  is  above 
the  earth  and  heaven."  Psa.  cxlviii.  In  one  comprehensive 
sentence,  the  Divine  Spirit,  by  the  Psalmist,  here  calls  all 
creation  to  the  discharge  of  its  high  duty,  saying,  "  Bless  the 
Lord,  all  His  works,  in  all  places  of  His  dominion."  And 
again,  elsewhere,  he  specifies  several  parts  of  creation,  say- 
ing, "  Let  the  heaven  and  earth  praise  Him,  the  seas,  and 
everything  that  moveth  therein."     Psa.  Ixix.  34. 

How  marvellous  is  our  world — created  out  of  nothing 
with  its  immeasurable  fulness — and  hung  upon  nothing  with 
its  enormous  bulk.  Deep  calleth  unto  deep,  and  one  moun- 
tain peak  to  another,  that  '•  great  is  the  Lord,  and  of  great 
power,  and  His  understanding  is  infinite."     The  very  ele- 


294  CALL   TO   UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — 

ments  are  but  as  shadows  of  His  attributes  : — fire,  or  light, 
of  His  glory  :  air  of  His  omnipresence :  earth  of  His  be- 
neficence :   and  the  ocean  of  His  power. 

"The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  firmament 
showeth  His  handiwork.  Day  unto  day  uttereth  speech, 
and  night  unto  night  showeth  knowledge."  The  brilliant  lu- 
minaries in  the  vault  of  heaven  invite  the  regard  of  man  ; 
in  every  region  they  awaken  and  repay  his  admiration ;  they 
are  calculated  to  elevate  his  soul  with  impressions  of  gran- 
deur and  beneficence,  and  to  illuminate  his  mind  with  this 
grand  truth  that  "  the  Hand  that  made  them  is  Divine." 

How  glorious  is  the  sky  by  day ;  how  magnificent  by 
night !  The  dawn  of  morn  proclaims  God's  presence ;  the 
close  of  evening  displays  His  power :  "  He  clothes  Himself 
with  light  as  with  a  garment.  He  stretches  out  the  heaven 
as  a  curtain."  The  Sun,  in  his  golden  splendor,  the  Moon, 
in  her  silvery  brightness,  and  the  studded  firmament  of 
Stars,  have  a  voice,  more  eloquent  than  human  words,  to 
glorify  the  Lord  :  "  There  is  no  speech  nor  language  where 
their  voice  is  not  heard,"  (Psa.  xix.)  proclaiming  "His 
eternal  power  and  Godhead,"  His  benevolence  and  love. 

The  precise  movements  of  the  heavenly  bodies — unvary- 
ing for  ages — glorify  the  Great  Creator,  inculcate  the  lesson 
of  order,  regularity,  and  obedience,  and  present  to  man,  that 
great  gift  from  God,  a  standard  of  time.  Even  the  erratic 
comets,  those  lights  that  appear  but  at  intervals  in  the  heav- 
ens, testify  for  God,  ^^ut  every  Atheist  to  shame,  and  prove 
how  fiilse  and  blasphemous  is  his  doctrine  of  Chance.  Sud- 
den and  brief  in  their  appearance,  and  unequalled  in  the 


ALL   THE   WORKS   OF   THE   LQRD.  295 

velocity  of  their  movements ;  inexplicable  in  their  nature, 
and  surpassing  observation  iji  the  depths  they  traverse  ;  yet 
so  exact  and  obedient  to  their  Creator's  law,  are  these  crea- 
tures of  His  hand,  that  man  rejoices  to  predict  the  period 
of  their  return ;  and,  where  it  was  least  to  have  been  ex- 
pected, receives  this  all-important  lesson,  never  to  deviate 
from  the  path  of  duty  which  his  Maker  has  prescribed. 

How  marvellous  is  the  element  of  light — simple,  yet  com- 
plex— mysterious  in  its  nature,  yet  revealing  mysteries  in 
others — apparently  colorless,  yet  coloring  all  things  with  the 
most  different  hues — imparting  freely  of  itself,  and  yet  los- 
ing nothing — so  swift  in  motion,  as  to  be  really  in  appear- 
ance motionless !  Light  blesses  God  by  its  minute  and  uni- 
versal obedience  to  His  will,  in  giving  brilliancy  to  the  dia- 
mond, verdure  to  the  leaf,  tints  to  the  flowers,  and  flavor  to 
the  fruits.  But  not  more  marvellous  is  light,  than  useful, 
and  beautiful,  and  indispensable.  Our  globe  without  the 
Sun  would  become  a  wide  circle  of  death — no  light  over 
its  whole  circumference — no  warmth  in  air,  or  land,  or  sea, 
— no  life,  no  growth,  in  seeds  or  plants,  in  man  or  animals. 
But,  thanks  be  to  God,  at  His  command  it  shines  through 
every  particle  of  the  atmosphere,  pervades  every  drop  of 
the  ocean,  beams  on  every  part  of  the  earth's  surface,  and 
guides  and  gladdens  every  living  thing. 

Who  shall  describe  the  various  offices  by  which  the  ele- 
ment of  Air  glorifies  its  Creator!  Present  everywhere, 
yet  seen  nowhere,  it  is  a  universal  remembrancer  of  the 
Omnipresent  God.  Air  is  at  once  the  representative  of 
man's  spirit,  and  the  supporter  of  man's  life.     It  is  necessary 


296      CALL  TO  UNIVERSAL  GRATITUDE — 

not  only  to  his  breathing,  but  also  to  almost  every  function 
he  performs.  Its  gentle,  but  powerful  and  supporting,  pres- 
sure on  every  part  of  his  frame,  is  an  emblem  of  that  all- 
surrounding  but  unseen  Hand  which  continually  upholds 
him, — for  vathout  the  air  he  cannot  move  or  act ;  he  can 
neither  speak,  nor  see,  nor  hear.  .  The  atmosphere  is  not 
only  universally  necessary  to  our  globe,  but  Jesus,  at  crea- 
tion, made  it  universally  suitable  to  all  that  the  globe  con- 
tains ;  and  the  air  glorifies  its  Maker  by  universal  and  ready 
subservience  to  the  continual  and  varied  demands  that  are 
made  upon  it  on  land  and  sea.  It  permeates  the  waters  of 
the  ocean,  and  penetrates  the  recesses  of  the  earth  :  and  yet 
diffuses  the  most  delicate  fragrance  of  the  flowers,  and  con- 
veys the  softest  notes  of  the  birds.  The  fowls  of  the  heaven 
fly  therein,  and  the  fish  in  the  sea  swim  thereby.  Air,  how 
sample  is  it,  yet  how  compound.  Though  more  soft  a:cd 
yielding  than  any  other  element,  yet  the  Almighty  Word 
made  it  His  "  firmament"  to  divide  the  waters  from  the 
waters,  and  most  faithfully  has  it  obeyed  Him  unto  this 
day. 

How  wonderful  and  varied  are  the  works  of  the  Lord 
in  the  region  of  the  Earth !  His  people  at  the  contempla- 
tion of  them  exclaim,  "O  Lord,  how  manifold  are  Thy 
works  !  in  wisdom  hast  Thou  made  them  all :  the  earth  is 
full  of  Thy  riches."     Psa.  civ. 

How  fair  and  fertile  are  the  plains — how  beautiful  the 
valleys,  how  magnificent  the  mountains.  Every  season  of 
the  year  bears  its  peculiar  testimony  to  the  ever- watchful, 
ever-gracious  care  of  its  Creator.     Winter  gives  rest  and 


ALL  THE   WORKS   OF   THE   LOUD.  297 

Strength  for  the  activities  of  Spring:  Summer  fosters  to 
maturity  what  the  Spring  has  produced,  and  Autumn  com- 
pletes the  tribute  of  their  praise.  Her  trees,  loaded  with 
blessing,  seem  to  bend  their  branches  in  acknowledgment  of 
the  Giver  ;  and  her  fields,  undulating  with  profusion  for  man 
and  beast,  appear  as  if  presenting  their  wave-offering  to  the 
Lord  ere  the  hand  of  man  can  sully  it. 

"  The  works  of  the  Lord  are  great ;  sought  out  of  all 
them  that  have  pleasure  therein."     The  telescope  reveals  c 
part  of  their  magnitude,  and  the  microscope  of  their  minute 
ness.     A  mountain  declares  the  glory  of  God,  and  a  grain 
of  sand  displays  His  creative  power.     Man  exults  that  he 
is  the  chief  of  God's  works,  and  yet  the  Great  Creator  has 
"  so  clothed  the  lilies  of  ■  the  field,  that  even  Solomon,  in  all 
His  glory,  was  not  arrayed  like  one  of  these."  Matt.  vi.  29. 
Man  is,  indeed,  the  chief  glory  of  God's  earthly  workman- 
ship, and  richly  and  freely  has  He  given  all  things  to  him  to 
enjoy.     In  His  considerate  benignity,  He  adorned  aiid  re- 
plenished the  earth  before  He  created  man  to  be  its  inhabit- 
ant.    And  in  its  various  parts,  what  a  store  of  happiness  has 
He  laid  open  to  rich  and  poor  alike  ! 

"  Kot  the  rich  nursery's  costly  toys 
Such  wealth  of  bliss  can  yield, 
As  childhood's  simple,  priceless  joys. 
Of  Tree,  and  Rock,  and  Field. 

"The  music  of  tlie  singing  birds, 
The  fragrance  of  the  flowers, 
The  valley  streams,  the  mountain  herds, 
The  woodland's  leafy  bowers. 
13* 


298  CALL   TO   UNIVERSAL   GEATITUDE — 

"The  sunset  hues,  the  starry  sky, 
The  groves,  the  pebbly  shore, 
The  chasing  clouds,  the  cliffs  on  high. 
The  stormy  ocean's  roar. 

"The  sweet  hoards  of  the  honey-bee, 
The  fruits  that  fenceless  grow, 
Wild  winter's  magic  tracery 
Of  frost  and  fleecy  snow. 

"  Tlie  cottage  Child,  these  treasures  all, 
By  birthright  doth  possess ; 
Free  is  to  him  the  Palace-Hall 

Of  K"ature's  loveliness. 

"  God's  beauteous  earth  is  surely  rife 
"With  good  in  every  part ; 
"With  blessings  for  the  outer  life, 
With  lessons  for  the  heart. 

"  And  when  that  life  is  tun'd  to  praise, 
That  heart  to  Him  is  given, 
Earth,  e'en  with  all  its  sorrowing  days, 

A  foretaste  is  of  heaven."  F. 

What  a  mirror  of  its  Great  Creator  is  the  mighty  Ocean, 
— in  resources  inexhaustible,  in  depth  unfathomable,  in 
breadth  immeasurable, — in  appearance  ever  changing,  and  yet 
unchangeably  the  same :  in  divisions  innumerable,  and  yet 
in  unity  how  perfect  and  entire  throughout  the  globe  ;  never 
wearied,  never  old ;  unsullied  in  purity,  and  fresh  as  at 
creation.  In  its  simplicity  and  its  diversity  ;  in  its  beauty 
and  its  bounty;  in  its  power  and  in  its  playfulness;  this 
mighty  element  is  indescribable.  The  silvered  waters  of 
the  sleeping  ocean,  form  a  vast  visible  image  of  God's  hidden 
peace — the  Divine  repose  of  soul  j  and  the  loudest  storm 


ALL   THE   WOKKS   OF   THE    LORD.  299 

that  rises  on  its  surface,  is  but  as  a  mighty  orchestra  of  winds 
and  waves  celebrating  His  praise.  The  very  saltness  of 
its  waters  praises  Him,  who  has  thereby  made  them  health- 
ful ;  and  their  perpetual  motion  sounds  a  perpetual  thanks- 
giving to  Him,  who  thereby  preserves  them  from  stagnation. 

Nothing  throughout  our  globe  appears  more  fluctuating 
than  water,  or,  in  its  various  movements,  more  extraordinary 
and  irregular  :  yet  in  no  department  can  we  trace  more 
visibly  the  laws  of  harmony  and  of  order.  The  great 
water-wheel  of  Nature  shows  forth  the  glory  of  its  Creator 
by  the  regularity  and  the  constancy  of  its  rotation — dis- 
persing blessings  throughout  the  entire  circuit  of  its  revo- 
lution. Behold  its  working  in  the  endless  variety  of  water- 
forms  ; — commencing  its  movement  in  springs,  or  advancing 
slowly  from  fountains,  then  trickling  downward  in  rills, 
pouring  forward  in  streams,  rushing  onward  in  rivers,  mov- 
ing powerfully  in  oceans,  rising  upward  in  vapors,  rolling 
over  us  in  clouds,  and  then  descending  in  the  mist  and  the 
rain,  in  the  hail  and  the  snow,  to  commence  again  in  springs 
Its  perfect  circle  of  drink-bearing  distribution  to  parched 
soils  and  drooping  foliage,  to  thirsty  man,  and  bird,  and 
beast,  and  insect.  Thus,  *'  unto  the  place  whence  the  rivers 
come,  thither  they  return  again"  Eccles.  i.  T;  and  bless 
their  Maker  by  the  music  of  their  unceasing  flow. 

Not  more  wonderful  are  the  elements  of  air,  and  earth, 
and  water,  than  is  the  life  with  which  they  teem  :  some 
creatures  showing  forth  the  glory  of  God,  and  blessing 
their  Creator,  by  their  magnitude,  some  by  their  magnili- 


300  CALL  TO   UNIVERSAL   GEATITUDE — 

cence,  some  by  their  minuteness,  and  all  together  by  their 
uncounted  myriads. 

Man  himself,  the  chief  inhabitant  of  the  globe,  is  its  chief 
wonder, — three  mysteries  in  one,  each  surpassing  the  other 
with  its  tribute  of  glory  to  the  Divine  Creator.  Whether 
we  consider  man  in  his  bodily  parts,  his  mental  powers,  or 
his  spiritual  capacities,  ineffably  glorious  does  that  Divine 
Mind  appear  which  could  originate  the  idea  of  such  a  being 
as  man,  and  that  Divine  power  which  could  give  it  living 
reality  in  a  body,  soul,  and  spirit.  Man — ^the  creature  of 
yesterday,  the  child  of  the  dust — is  furnished  by  his  God 
with  a  bodily  eye  that  can  pierce  millions  of  miles  through 
spape  to  distant  stars — the  finite  gazing  on  the  works  of  the 
Infinite- — he  is  endowed  with  a  mental  eye  that  can  survey 
in  thought  the  whole  globe  on  which  he  treads,  the  mighty 
systern  to  which  it  belongs,  the  heaven  of  heavens,  the  hosts 
of  angels,  the  tlu-one  of  the  Eternal,  and  God  Himself  seated 
thereon, — and  Jie  is  endowed  by  grace  with  a  spiritual  eye 
that  can  look  through  Jesus,  by  faith,  to  "  Him  who  is  in- 
visible," and  behold  an  Almighty  Creator,  a  reconciled 
Father,  and  a  God  of  Love. 

Nor  man  alone,  all  creatures  bless  their  Creator  by  dis- 
playing His  power  in  their  existence,  His  wisdom  in  their 
design  and  adaptation,  His  resources  in  their  number  and 
variety,  His  beneficence  in  their  food  and  their  enjoyments, 
His  all-pervading  presence  in  their  continual  preservation. 
Some  praise  Him  by  the  velocity  of  their  motion,  some  by 
their  energy  and  strength,  some  by  the  elegance  of  their 
forms,  some  by  the  beauty  of  their  colors,  and  some  by  the 


ALL   THE   WORKS   OF  THE   LORD.  301 

sweetness  of  their  notes.  From  the  huge  Leviathan  to  the 
smallest  animalcule,  all  glorify  their  Maker  by  occupying 
the  place  He  has  assigned  them  in  Creation.  Not  one  of  all 
the  myriads  in  air  and  earth  and  sea,  breathes  or  moves,  or 
acts,  or  dies,  without  the  knowledge  of  God.  They  "all 
wait"  on  Him  for  their  daily  sustenance,  (Psa.  civ.  27,)  and 
derive  from  Him  their  entire  strength,  their  every  breath. 
What  glory  redounds  to  the  Almighty  Giver,  from  that 
marvellous  energy  of  existence,  with  which  He  has  endowe<l 
even  the  smallest  tribes  of  animated  matter.  "What  an 
amount  of  happiness  has  His  beneficence  comprehended  in 
a  living  atom.  What  a  century  of  joy  has  His  love  summed 
up  in  the  tiny  creature  that  bursts  into  life  with  the  sun's 
warmth,  sports  itself  in  his  meridian  beams,  and  sinks  into 
death  before  the  sunset.  Even  death  itself,  mysterious  ab- 
sorber, produces  life,  and  praises  the  wonder-working  God. 
Decay  and  mould  are  but  His  seed-plots  of  new  forms  of 
existence.  Disruptions  place  themselves  at  His  feet  as 
stepping-stones  to  order.  Instability  in  one  form,  paves  the 
way  for  permanence  in  another ;  and  every  change  blesses 
God  by  leading  onward  to  improvement  and  perfection. 

The  Lord  is  glorified  in  every  part  of  His  creation,  and 
accomplishes  vast  designs  by  the  most  apparently  inadequate 
instrumentality.  The  wind  at  His  command  becomes  the 
planter  of  a  portion  of  His  seeds  ;  a  feeble  insect  the  archi- 
tect of  His  coral  islands ;  and  a  warbling  bird.  His  mes- 
senger of  life  to  an  immortal  soul.  "  What  are  these  birds 
doing  1"  said  a  fisherman  to  himself  as  he  awoke  in  his 
boat ;  "  Late  last  night,  and  here  again  early  this  morning  : 


302  CALL   TO   UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — 

what  are  they  always  singing  ?"  a  voice  within  him  replied, 
"  They're  praising  their  Maker."  And  deep  was  the  con- 
viction stamped  upon  his  conscience,  that  all  creatures 
praised  God  but  himself.  Day  and  night  the  song  of  the 
birds  wa^  in  his  ear,  and  the  lesson  of  the  Spirit  accompan  y- 
ing  it  in  his  conscience.  He  became  a  new  man  in  Christ 
Jesus ;  and  was  often  heard  to  say, "  Who  could  have  thought 
that  the  songs  of  a  few  little  birds,  should  be  the  instruments 
of  my  salvation  1"  All  God's  w^orks  give  Him  glory  ;  if 
we  had  only  spiritual  eyes  to  see  it,  and  spiritual  ears  to 
hear  it,  the  universe  would  be  found  full  of  praise.  All 
God's  works  would  be  heard  blessing  "  Him  in  all  places  of 
His  dominion." 

"  All  powxr  is  given  unto  Jesus  in  heaven  and  on  earth," 
(Matt,  xxviii.  18  ;)  and  "  all  things  are  put  under  His  feet," 
though  as  yet  "  we  see  it  not."  Heb.  ii.  8.  The  whole  cre- 
ation lies  under  the  curse,  and  its  voice  of  praise  is  conse- 
quently imperfect.  But  the  time  is  coming,  when  Jesus 
will  "  take  to  Himself  His  great  power ;"  and  then  shall 
the  prophecy  of  the  Psalmist  be  fulfilled,  "  All  Thy  works 

SHALL  praise    ThEE    O  LoRD,  AND    ThY    SAINTS    SHALL    BLESS 

Thee."  Psa.  cxlv.  10.  Jesus,  the  Creator,  will  come  forth 
as  the  Re-Creator,  and  say,  "  Behold,  I  make  all  things  new." 
Then  in  the  new  heavens  and  the  new  earth,  all  His  works, 
in  all  places  of  His  dominion,  w^ill  bless  the  Triune  Jehovah, 
God  the  Father  will  be  worshipped.  God  the  Son  will  be 
adored.  The  Divine  Spirit  will  be  divinely  honored.  The 
thanksgiving  of  the  universe  will  be  offered.  The  twofold 
homage  for  Creation  and  for  Redemption  will  be  paid.     Oh, 


ALL  THE   WORKS   OF   THE   LORD.  303 

transporting  thought !  thrice  happy  prospect :  most  glorious 
period !  Who  shall  describe  the  triumph  of  that  hour  1 
Who  can  conceive  the  grandeur  of  that  scene  1 — A  universe 
of  voices;  a  choir  of  worlds;  the  music  of  eternity;  all 
creatures  worshipping ;  all  creation  praising ;  Jesus  acknowl- 
edged as  "  God  over  all,  and  blessed  for  ever." 

In  preparation  for  this  glorious  consummation,  the  Di- 
vine Spirit  here  calls  on  "  all  God's  works,  in  all  places  of 
His  dominion,  to  bless  His  name."  W^hat  though  .discord- 
ant sounds  grate  upon  our  ear  during  the  period  of  this  Tun- 
ing time, — the  instruments  will  soon  be  perfected,  and  then 
what  a  burst  of  harmony  will  break  upon  us  in  Eternity  ! 
Angels  and  archangels,  cherubim  and  seraphim,  thrones  and 
dominions,  principalities  and  powers,  all  the  hosts  and  ser- 
vants of  the  Lord,  all  the  members  of  His  redeemed  family, 
and  "  all  His  works  in  all  places  of  His  dominion,"  will 
join  in  one  melodious  choir  to  sing  the  song  of  universal 
gratitude  and  praise.  Hymns  of  Creation  and  of  Redemp- 
tion will  be  sung  responsive ;  and  the  voices  of  the  created 
will  chant  "Amen"  to  the  symphonies  of  the  redeoinecl. 
The  Seraphim,  as  representatives  of  the  angels,  will  be 
heard  worshipping  the  Trinity  in  Unity  as  they  cry  one  to 
another,  "  Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  is  the  Lord  of  hosts — the 
whole  earth  is  full  of  His  glory."  Isa.  vi.  3.  The  four 
LIVING  CREATURES,  as  representatives  of  the  Church,  will 
never  rest,  day  nor  night,  worshipping  the  Unity  in  Trinity, 
"  Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  was,  and 
is,  and  is  to  come."  The  four-and-twenty  Elders,  on  be- 
half of  the  redeemed,  will  not  be  slow  to  raise   the  praises 


804  CALL   TO    UKIVEKSAL   GRATITUDE — 

of  the  Creator :  "  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory 
and  honor  and  power :  for  Thou  hast  created  all  things,  and 
for  Thy  pleasure  they  are  and  were  created."  Eev.  iv. 
Then  "  the  voice  of  Haepers"  will  be  heard  "harping  witli 
their  harps,  before  the  throne,  that  new  song"  of  Redemp- 
tion, which  no  man  can  learn,  but  the  hundred  and  forty  and 
four  thousand  which  are  redeemed  from  the  earth.  Rev. 
xiv.  "  And,  lo,  a  great  multitude,  which  no  man  can  num- 
ber, of  all  nations,  and  kindred,  and  people,  and  tongues, 
standing  before  the  throne,  and  before  the  Lamb,  clothed 
with  wliite  robes,  and  palms  in  their  hands,"  will  cry  "  with 
a  loud  voice,  saying.  Salvation  to  our  God  which  sittetli 
upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb."  To  this  grateful  song 
of  the  redeemed,  the  angels  will  immediately  and  joyfully 
respond  "Amen!  Blessing,  and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and 
thanksgiving,  and  honor,  and  power,  and  might,  be  unto  our 
God  for  ever  and  ever.  Amen  !"  Rev.  vii.  Again  the 
high  praises  of  the  Redeemer  will  be  raised  by  those  who 
"  have  every  one  of  them  harps  and  golden  vials  full  of 
odQi?s  ;•'  falling  down  "  before  the  Lamb,"  they  will  sing  this 
"  new  song,"  "  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book,  and  to 
open  the  seals  thereof;  for  Thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  re- 
deemed us  to  God  by  Thy  blood,  out  of  every  kindred,  and 
tongue,  and  people,  and  nation  :  and  hast  made  us  unto  our 
God  kings  and  priests :  and  w^e  shall  reign  on  the  earth." 
In  full  harmony  with  this  song  of  the  redeemed,  and  in  di- 
rect adoration  of  the  Redeemer,  the  "innumerable  com- 
pany" of  the  Angels,  "  the  number  of  whom  is  ten  thousand 
times  ten  thousand,  and  thousands  of  thousands,"  will  be 


ALL   THE   WORKS   OF  THE   LORD.  305 

heard  praising  him,  and  saying,  "  Worthy  is  the  Lanih  that 
was  slain  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and 
strength,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  blessing."  Then,  like 
the  mighty  sound  of  many  waters,  the  light  voices  of  all  the 
created,  and  of  all  the  redeemed — "  all  •  His  works,  in  all 
places  of  His  dominion" — "  every   creature  which  is  in 

HEAVEN,  AND  ON  THE  EARTH,  AND  SUCH  AS  ARE  IN  THE  SEA, 

AND  ALL  THAT  ARE  IN  THEM,"  will  be  heard  "  blessing  God" 
in  this  harmonious,  universal,  and  everlasting  song  of  grati- 
tude and  praise, — "  Blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and 

POWER  BE  UNTO    HiM    THAT    SITTETH    UPON    THE    THRONE,  AND 

UNTO  THE  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever."  Rev.  v. 


XX. 

Call  t0  MwUtxnl  (igratititiK 

THE  psalmist's    OWN    SOUL. 

Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul. — Verse  22. 

Having  addressed  the  whole  universe  of  intelligent  beings, 
animated  creatures  and  inanimate  things,  the  Son  of  Jesse 
sums  up  his  addresses  and  his  Psalm  together,  by  calling 
upon  his  own  soul  to  unite  with  them  in  the  glorious  work 
of  praise.  He  would  not  suffer  it  to  come  behind  even  the 
angels  in  blessing  God.  He  knows  how  good  the  Lord  is. 
He  had  long  and  largely  experienced  the  freeness  of  His  for- 
giveness, the  fulness  of  His  forbearance,  the  richness  of  His 
benefits,  and  the  tenderness  of  His  love.  "  All  that  was 
within  him"  glowed,  under  the  Divine  Spirit,  with  intense 
gratitude  to  his  Redeemer.  Not  more  ardently,  therefore, 
did  he  long  to  hear  the  praises  of  his  Divine  Benefactor 
sung  by  the  entire  creation,  than  he  desired  that  he  himself 
should  bear  a  high  and  holy  part  in  the  universal  and  ever- 
lasting song. 

The  Eoyal  Psalmist  commenced  this  beautiful  hymn  of 
gratitude  with  a  special  address  to  his  own  soul,  and  now  he 
closes  it  with  a  similar  self  application.     In  the  course  of  it 


THE    psalmist's   OWN   SOUL.  807 

he  had  called  on  others  to  bless  the  Lord,  and  here,  with  re- 
doubled earnestness,  he  calls  upon  himself.  He  had  made 
it  his  first  duty,  and  now  he  makes  it  his  last,  to  bless  his 
Creator  and  his  Redeemer. 

It  is  this  heart  application  that  we  need  in  all  our  readings 
of  Scripture,  in  all  our  hearings  of  sermons,  and  in  all  our 
experiences  of  God's  goodness.  The  doctrines  we  learn 
must  all  be  reduced  to  practice.  The  instructions  we  give 
to  others  must  all  be  laid  also  upon  ourselves.  The  mercies 
we  receive  must  all  be  specially  acknowledged.  The  truths 
of  the  Bible  and  the  blessings  of  Providence  should  nat  be 
entertained  as  mere  external  verities  ;  they  should  come 
home  to  the  heart — they  should  be  real,  living,  abiding 
sources  of  thought  and  feeling,  and  motives  of  action.  Here 
is  a  pattern  in  David.  These  concluding  words  bear  the 
stamp  of  reality  upon  them.  The  Psalmist  was  in  deep 
earnest ;  and  without  earnest  heart  application  there  can  be 
no  true  religion.  Every  one  must  be  made  to  feel  that  it  is 
with  his  own  soul  that  he  has  to  do.  Angels  may  be  prais- 
ing God  in  heaven  ;  the  question  for  us  is  this — "  Are  we 
praising  God  on  the  earth  ?"  All  His  works  may  be  fulfill- 
ing His  will ;  the  consideration  for  me  is — "  Am  I  similarly 
serving  my  Redeemer?"  My  fellow  men  may,  some 
of  them,  be  loving  Jesus,  and  others  of  them  loving  the 
world  :  their  love  to  Him  will  not  save  me, — their  rejection 
of  Him  w^ill  not  ruin  me.  My  own  soul  is  to  be  the  grand 
object  of  my  solicitude.  Others  are  better  than  I  am  ;  their 
goodness  will  not  make  up  for  my  deficiency.  Others  may 
be  worse  than  myself;  their  vileness  will   not  excuse  my 


808      CALL  TO  UNIVERSAL  GRATITUDE — 

sinfulness.  Every  one  of  us  stands  before  the  eye  of  Jesus 
as  he  inwardly  is.  We  each  personally  receive  his  benfits  : 
we  should  each  personally  give  Him  praise.  We  are  each 
to  stand  individually  before  the  throne  of  judgment.  We 
must  each  personally  take  our  place,  on  the  right  hand  or  on 
the  left,  of  the  Great  White  Throne.  The  question,  there- 
fore, for  each  of  us  is, — Am  I  preparing  for  that  solemn 
day  1  AVhat  avail  will  it  be  to  me  though  millions  enter 
heaven,  if  I  enter  it  not  *?  As  if  David  had  said,  Why 
should  I  write  this  Psalm  for  others '?  Why  should  I  call 
upon  the  universe  to  glorify  the  Lord,  if  I  call  not  upon  my- 
self? "  Bless  the  Lord,  oh  MY  soul."  Whatever  others  do, 
let  me  do  service  to  my  God.  Whoever  others  love,  let  me 
love  my  Redeemer.  Whatever  others  glory  in,  let  me 
glory  only  in  the  Lord.  Let  all  my  faculties  be  fixed  on 
serving  Him.  Let  all  my  powers  be  actively  and  continu- 
ally engaged  to  show  forth  His  praise.  Home  to  my  own 
heart  let  every  duty  come.  Home  to  my  own  conscience 
let  every  threatening  peal.  Home  to  my  own  spirit  let 
every  promise  press.  Others,  it  is  true,  ought  to  praise 
God  ;  but  my  soul  ought  also  to  praise  Him.  Others  may 
forget ;  but  let  me  not  forget.  All  that  is  within  me  shall 
be  effectually  stirred  up  to  celebrate  the  mercies  of  my  God 
and  Saviour.  It  is  my  first  injunction  upon  myself,  and  it 
shall  also  be  my  last,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  oh  my  soul." 

What  an  instructive  examj^le  is  here  exhibited  for  our 
individual  instruction,  and  for  our  continual  imitation  !  All 
our  religious  efforts  should  begin  with  our  own  hearts  ; 
next  they  should  go  forth  to  rouse  the  gratitude  of  others  ; 


THE   psalmist's   OWN  SOUL.  309 

and  then  unfailingly  return  with  increased  energy  to  reani- 
mate our  own  spirits.     This  is  our  first  and  our  last  duty. 
It  testifies  our  sincerity  ;  it  quickens  our  progress ;  and  it 
increases  our  joy.     Blessings  multiply  as  we  use  them ; 
graces  increase  as  we  call  them  into  exercise  ;  and,  both  to- 
gether, endow  the  heart  with  a  continually  enlarging  circle 
of  praise.     Blessings  impart  gladness  and  awaken  gratitude ; 
gladness  and  gratitude  increase  love ;  love  enlarges  obedi- 
ence ;  obedience  obtains  blessings  ;  and  renewed  blessings 
redouble  our  gratitude  and  our  gladness,  our  love  and  our 
obedience,  in  endless  succession.     Thus  the  soul  becomes 
fitted  for  heaven   and  for  eternity.     It  feels  itgelf  put  in 
possession  of  powers  and  of  materials  for  unceasing  praise — 
the  finite  creature  becomes  capable  of  blessing  for  ever  the 
infinite  Creator — and  thus  onward  and  onward  through  time 
— from  the  day  of  his  conversion  onward  through  eternity — 
the  soul  of  the  believer  is  still  rising,  gratitude  increasing, 
and  thanksgiving  abounding.     Tlie  new  birth  of  the  soul 
introduces  it  to  a  life  of  everlasting  gratitude.     It  is  bom 
of  God's  Spirit,  and  is  made,  by  His  teaching,  increasingly 
conscious  of  its  infinite  obligations  to  creating  power,  pre- 
serving care,   providing  beneficence,  and   redeeming  love. 
By  the  same  Spirit  it  is  endowed  with  everlasting  gratitude 
for  these  blessings,  and  with  everlasting  love  for  their  glorious 
Giver  ;— it  is  furnished  with  spiritual  powers  to  pi*aise  Him 
immediately  and  unceasingly ; — and  it  will  be  provided  with  a 
spiritual  body  to  serve  Him  unweariedly  throughout  eternity. 
The  Scriptures  uniformly  testify  that  all  true  religion  be- 
gins, continues,  and  ends  with  grace  and  gratitude— grace 


810      CALL  TO  UNIVERSAL  GRATITUDE — 

from  God  and  gratitude  from  man.  From  first  to  last  it  is 
all  on  God's  part  grace — and  from  first  to  last  it  should  be 
all  on  man's  part  gratitude  :  "  What  have  we,  that  we  have 
not  received  V^  Our  very  thankfulness  is  of  the  Lord,  and 
in  giving  praise  we  only  give  Him  back  His  own.  We  can- 
not make  the  Lord  our  debtor  by  our  services  or  by  our 
praises :  "  What  can  we  render  unto  the  Lord  for  all  His 
benefits  towards  usf  Nothing,  literally  nothing.  We 
can  only  take  something  further  from  His  ever-giving-hand  : 
"  1  will  take  the  cup  of  salvation,  and  call  upon  the  name  of 
the  Lord."  Psa.  cxvi.  12,  13.  God  is  first  in  everything 
— first  in  love,  first  in  the  reconciliation.  .  1  John  iv.  19  ;  2 
Cor.  V.  19.  Man  originates  no  movement  towards  the 
Most  High.  God's  grace  certainly,  invariably,  and  ever- 
lastingly goes  first,  and  our  gratitude  ought  certainly,  in- 
variably, and  everlastingly  to  follow. 

Gratitude  is  an  elevating  sentiment.  It  raises  us  nearer  to 
God.  It  unites  the  Receiver  with  the  Giver.  It  refines  and 
enlivens  his  heart.  It  fortifies  his  spirit  against  anxieties  and 
dejection.  And  it  prepares  him  to  enter  and  to  enjoy  the 
high,  and  holy,  and  eternal  state  of  being ;  for  love  is  the 
grace,  gratitude  is  the  duty,  and  praise  is  the  employment 
of  heaven.  True  gratitude  is  a  fruit  of  faith.  All  human 
systems  of  religion,  ancient  and  modern,  come  short  in  the 
inculcation  of  thanksgiving.  The  Bible  alone  teaches  us 
both  to  see  God  in  all  things,  and  thankfully  to  acknowledge 
Him  as  the  suggester  of  thought,  the  prompter  of  word,  the 
director  of  action,  and  the  bestower  of  blessings.  Ingrati- 
tude hardens  the  heart,  but  gratitude  softens  it.     Ingratitude 


THE    psalmist's   OWN   SOUL.  311 

drives  us  further  and  further  from  God,  but  gratitude  draws 
us  nearer  and  nearer  to  Him  in  time,  and  makes  us  near  for 
ever.  Gratitude  makes  the  believer  now  a  willing  worship- 
per at  the  throne  of  grace,  and  it  will  make  him  for  ever 
a  joyful  worshipper  at  the  throne  of  glory. 

Every  professing  Christian  should  pray  earnestly  for  the 
grace  of  gratitude;  and  honestly  examine  himself  as  to  its 
sincerity,  fervency,  and  progress.  We  are  all  prone  to 
"  forget."  We  need  "  line  upon  line,  and  precept  upon  pre- 
cept," lest  we  go  "  backward,  and  be  snared,  and  be  taken," 
by  the  great  adversary  of  our  souls.  Daily  should  we  stir 
up  "  all  that  is  within"  us,  to  praise  and  to  magnify  our  God. 
To  be  slow  to  pray  is  sinful :  to  be  slow  to  praise  is  likewise 
base  and  odious.  Murmuring  is  a  heinous  sin.  Shall  we 
set  our  will  above  the  Lord's,  and  rebel  against  the  appoint- 
ments of  His  government  ?  Shall  we  think,  and  speak,  and 
act,  as  if  we  were  wiser  and  better,  more  tender  and  gener- 
ous than  God  1  Shall  we  harbor  that  monster  of  ingratitude 
in  our  breasts — which  says,  in  effect,  "  It  is  not  kind ;  it  is 
not  well  done.  I  would  have  done  it  better" — which  thus 
virtually  sets  God  aside,  that  it  may  become  its  own  adviser, 
its  own  disposer,  its  own  God  1  Never  let  us  be  so  pre- 
sumptuous as  to  conceive  that  the  government  of  the  uni- 
verse is  to  obey  our  will,  and  be  regulated  by  our  conve- 
nience. Never  let  us  sit  in  judgment  upon  the  ways  of  God  ; 
repine  against  His  providences ;  and  find  fault  with  His  ar- 
rangements. "  Who  art  thou  that  repliest  against  God  ?" 
Dost  thou  proudly  deem  thyself  worthy  of  all  that  has  been 
done  for  thee,  of  all  that  has  been  given  to  thee,  yea  and  of 


312  CALL  TO   UNIVERSAL  GRATITUDE — 

far  more  besides  ?  Wilt  thou  deliberately  indulge  this  un- 
thankful murmuring  spirit,  and  permit  it  to  say  before  God, 
within  thy  rebellious  heart,  that  His  gifts  are  not  needed, 
nor  their  continuance  cared  for  1  Is  it  all  the  same,  whether 
God  smite,  or  smile  upon  thee  1  Dost  thou  neither  fear  His 
frown,  nor  desire  His  favor  ?  Because  one  thing  is  not  as 
thou  wouldst  have  it,  are  all  other  mercies  to  be  overlooked 
and  despised  1  Flee,  my  soul,  from  ingratitude,  as  from  a 
serpent.  A  murmuring  spirit  will  bring  thee  to  destruction. 
The  unthankful  can  find  no  admission  to  heaven.  For 
"  murmurers  and  complainers"  is  "  reserved  the  blackness 
of  darkness  for  ever,"  Jude  13 — 16.  Therefore,  O  my  soul, 
bless  thou  thy  God  continually.  Be  thankful  for  His  with- 
holdings, as  well  as  for  His  bestowments.  Repine  not  at 
any  allotment,  "  neither  murmur  as  some  have  murmured, 
and  were  destroyed  of  the  destroyer,"  1  Cor.  x.  10.  Most 
offensive  is  ingratitude.  Most  dishonest  is  it,  and  unjust, 
defrauding  God  and  men  of  their  due  acknowledgments. 
An  earthly  benefactor  repents  of  having  given  his  labor,  love, 
and  kindness  ;  and  feels  his  heart  closed  against  the  ungrate- 
ful recipient  of  his  former  favors.  Be  grateful,  O  my  soul ! 
I  charge  it  upon  thee  as  thy  first  and  as  thy  last  duty — Be 
grateful  to  thy  God.  Let  me  give  Him  the  glory  of  all  the 
blessing  I  enjoy  on  earth.  Never  let  me  attribute  one  of 
them  to  my  own  good  management,  or  to  blind  chance,  or 
to  any  second  causes  whatsoever.  Let  me  not  be  guilty  on 
the  one  hand  of  idolizing,  or  on  the  other  of  undervaluing, 
a  single  blessing  which  my  God  and  Saviour  condescends  to 
bestow.     For  His  glory,  as  the  Giver,  let  me  employ  them 


THE   psalmist's  OWN  SOUL.  813 

all,  and  not  for  my  own  sinful  gratifications,  continually  re- 
membering and  acknowledging  how  unworthy  I  am  even  of 
the  least  of  His  mercies.  Let  holy  gratitude  for  the  past 
and  the  present,  lead  me  to  humble  confidence  m  His  wis- 
dom and  love  for  the  future,  through  time  and  through  eter- 
nity ;  and  let  the  sweet  sense  of  obligation  be  an  "  easy  yoke." 
to  bind  me  most  willingly  and  unreservedly  to  His  service. 

If  we  pursue  the  downward  path  of  complaint,  where 
shall  we  end  but  in  the  abyss  of  woe  1  If  we  follow  the 
upward  path  of  gratitude,  whither  shall  it  lead  us  but  to  the 
mansions  of  joy "?  All  our  earthly  mercies  have  a  heavenly 
origin.  They  bid  us  continually  ascend.  They  teach  us  to 
rejoice  as  created  and  redeemed,  as  rational,  and  responsible, 
and  grateful  beings.  They  invite  us  to  a  spiritual  thankful 
ness,  to  a  holy  joy.  God  desires  our  happiness.  He  gives 
unnumbered  blessings  to  make  us  cheerful,  contented,  and 
thankful.  Our  memories  ought  to  be  registers  of  God's 
mercies.  We  should  often  recount  them,  one  after  another, 
and  take  delight  in  bringing  all  His  goodness  to  remem- 
brance. From  time  to  time  we  set  apart  a  day  for  fasting 
and  prayer  ;  so  ought  we  to  set  apart  a  day  for  rejoicing  and 
thanksgiving. 

We  should  often  hold  our  "  Jubilee"  of  entire  gladness, 
recapitulating  the  gracious  acts  of  the  Lord  with  glowing 
gratitude.  We  should  enumerate  the  averting  of  evils  that 
we  feared,  the  unexpected  turnings  of  affairs  that  revived 
our  hopes,  the  hair-breadth  escapes  that  surprised  and  glad- 
dened us,  and  the  answers  to  prayer  that  put  our  mibelief  to 
shame.     The  various  circumstances  by  which  mercies  have 

14 


314  CALL   TO    UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — 

been  distinguished  and  accompanied,  should  be  carefully  re- 
membered ;  the  seasonahleness  of  their  supphj^  the  tenderness 
of  love,  and  the  ivisdom  of  adaptation  with  which  they  were 
brought  to  our  need  and  suited  to  our  case  ;  and  the  great- 
ness of  evils  prevented,  and  of  the  blessings  bestowed ;  the 
healthy  and/ooc?,  and  raiment,  with  which  God  has  provided 
us  ;  th.Q  friends  raised  up  to  us  in  the  hour  of  difficulty  ;  the 
light  which  has  arisen  upon  us  in  seasons  of  darkness  and 
perplexity,  and  the  peace  which  has  sustained  our  souls 
under  bereavement,  should  all  be  specially  and  thankfully 
acknowledged. 

Go  back,  O  my  soul,  to  the  days  of  earliest  remembrance. 
Gather  together  in  review  as  many  as  possible  of  the  vari- 
ous blessings  of  childhood,  of  youth,  and  of  manhood,  or 
now  also  it  may  be  of  old  age.  See  life  preserved,  dangers 
averted,  wants  supplied,  and  comforts  continued  by  the  God 
of  love.  Try  to  recollect  all  the  mercies  and  blessings,  the 
deliverances,  alleviations,  and  consolations  bestowed  by  the 
Lord.  Were  they  not  as  so  many  varied  and  lovely  flowers 
adorning  my  onward  path  ?  Did  they  not  render  fragrant 
many  an  otherwise  wilderness  spot  in  my  earthly  pilgrimage  ? 
Let  then  a  lively  gratitude  be  ever  as  an  ornament  of  grace 
around  my  neck,  and  appear  as  a  coronet  of  gladness  upon 
my  brow  ?  and  let  me  ever  be  ready  to  bear  grateful  testi- 
mony to  the  goodness  of  my  God  and  Saviour  in  all  His 
dispensations.  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,"  for  he  has 
dealt  well  with  me.  Well,  in  sickness,  because  He  designed 
my  good  ;  well,  in  trials,  because  they  were  less  than  I  de- 
served ;  well,  in  mercies,  for  they  were  all  as  unmerited  on 


THE   psalmist's   OWN   SOUL.  315 

my  part,  as  on  His  they  were  rich  and  Tree,  continual  and 
everlasting.  Oh,  my  God,  let  me  "  abundantly  utter  the 
memory  of  thy  great  goodness."  "  Let  me  publish  with 
the  voice  of  thanksgiving,  and  tell  of  all  Thy  wondrous  works." 
Reader  !  this  hundred  and  third  Psalm,  inspired  by  the 
Holy  Ghost,  yields  spiritual  "  benefit"  both  in  sorrow  and 
in  joy.  When  you  feel  sad  and  dejected,  read  over  this 
Psalm,  and  it  will  relieve  and  sanctify  your  sorrow.  When 
you  feel  happy  and  joyful,  read  over  this  Psalm,  and  it  will 
increase  and  sanctify  your  joy.  May  the  Holy  Spirit  write 
its  every  word  upon  your  heart,  to  your  "  great  and  endless 
comfort."  David,  taught  by  the  Spirit,  has  here  both  set 
the  example  of  a  grateful  worshipper,  and  furnished  "  ac- 
ceptable words"  of  praise.  Imitate  that  example.  Adopt  these 
words.  Be  diligent  in  cultivating  a  grateful  spirit.  Seek 
for  opportunities  of  praise.  In  your  going  out  and  your 
coming  in,  give  thanks  unto  God.  In  your  lying  down  and 
in  your  rising  up,  give  thanks  unto  your  God.  Let  it  be 
your  daily  duty,  and  your  hourly  privilege,  to  "  speak  to 
yourself"  in  this  or  some  similar,  spiritual  song.  Lay  up 
verses  of  Scripture,  and  hymns  of  thanksgiving,  in  your 
memory,  with  which  to  make  sweet  melody  in  your  heart, 
repeating  them  to  the  Lord.  Let  every  moment  as  it  flies, 
bear  onward  a  note  of  praise.  Let  every  breath,  as  it  rises, 
bear  uj^ward  the  incense  of  thanksgiving.  Like  the  Psalm- 
ist, enjoin  it  upon  your  soul,  as  its  first  and  as  its  last  duty, 
to  "  bless  the  Lord."  "  In  everything,"  says  the  Spirit,  by 
the  Apostle,  "  in  everything  give  thanks,  for  this  is  the  will 
of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  concernincr  vou."  1  Thess.  v.  18. 


816      CALL  TO  UNIVEESAL  GEATITUDE — 

So  unceasing  is  His  kindness,  that  there  is  no  part  of  the 
day  or  of  the  night  that  may  not  have  its  peculiar  theme — 
its  appropriate  subject  of  thanksgiving.  Every  hour,  every 
circumstance,  brings  some  lesson,  some  benefit,  from  God. 
Every  hour,  every  circumstance,  therefore,  should  c^rry 
with  it  some  tribute  of  our  gratitude.  Peculiar  mercies 
should  receive  peculiar  acknowledgments.  Every  morning's 
comforts  should  draw  forth  every  morning,  praise.  Every 
evening's  mercies  should  excite  every  evening,  gratitude. 
Every  day  should  be  a  thanksgiving-day.  Our  whole  life 
should  be  a  life  of  praise.  What  a  blessed  sight  to  God,  to 
angels,  and  to  every  holy  being,  is  a  grateful  believer  !  The 
song  of  a  sinner,  sensible  of  his  own  vileness  and  of  his 
Saviour's  love,  is  the  sweetest  music  in  their  ears.  He  has 
become  a  new  man  in  Christ  Jesus  ;  the  garment  of  right- 
eousness is  around  him ;  the  Spirit  of  Holiness  is  within 
him  ;  humility  has  taken  the  place  of  pride  ;  happiness  has 
superseded  heaviness;  praise  has  put  aside  repining;  joy 
has  eclipsed  all  sorrow  in  his  breast ;  and  he  is  "  singing 
and  making  melody  in  his  heart  to  the  Lord." 

If  our  consideration  of  this  Psalm  has  been  attended  with 
no  other  benefit,  let  us  at  least  hope  that  it  has  convinced  us 
of  our  ingratitude,  and  awakened  us  to  thankfulness.  The 
Lord  grant  that  it  may  thus  have  proved  as  a  "  two-edged 
sword  "  in  the  hand  of  the  Spirit,  and  then  our  labor  shall 
not  have  been  altogether  in  vain.  Little  indeed  is  that- 
mind  to  be  envied  which  can  pass,  from  the  perusal  of  this 
beautiful  hymn  of  thanksgiving,  to  its  wonted  indifference. 
Cold  and  dead  must  be  that  heart  which  it  does  not  con- 


THE  psalmist's  OWN   SOUL.  317 

strain  to  say,  "  I  fear,  yea,  I  feel  that  I  have  not  been  suf- 
ficiently sensible  of  my  mercies.     How  ungratefully  have  I 
requited  my  Divine  Benefactor,  my  gracious  Saviour,  my 
holy  Comforter."     If  such  be  the  conviction  produced  in  our 
breasts,  surely  it  will  have  called  forth  an  earnest  cry  for 
greater   thankfulness   of   heart.      Cherish   that   conviction. 
Give  daily  utterance  to  that  cry.     And  to  the  very  close  of 
life  let  this  be  the  fervent  petition  of  your  soul,  "  Lord,  in- 
crease my  gratitude."    There  are  higher  and  lower  notes  of 
praise.     Seek  to  rise  :  "  Let  the  high  praises  of  God  be  in 
your  mouth."     "  Praise  Him  according  to  His  excellent 
greatness." — Every  gift,  every  mercy,  increases  our  debt  to 
God.     Our  thanksgivings  ought  to  be  proportioned  to  His 
blessings.     David  earnestly  desired  that  his  should  become 
so,  more  and  more,  by  the  Spirit  of  grace.     His  were  no 
listless  praises  :  "  All  that  was  within  him"  blessed  his  God. 
Reader  !  are  you  in  earnest  1     Turn  not  from  the  question 
as  superfluous,  and  say  that  it  may  be  taken  for  granted  that 
you  are.     I  beseech  you,  in  the  great  matter  of  your  salva- 
tion, take  nothing  for  granted.    Make  sure  work  for  eternity. 
Be  all  alive  with  reality.     Let  your  thanksgivings  be  real. 
Again,  therefore,  we  ask.  Are  you  in  earnest  ? — in  earnest, 
not  merely  to  go  to  heaven  ;  not  merely  to  be  safe  when  you 
die — but  to  bless  God  while  you  live,  and  to  glorify  him  on 
earth  1     Are  you  really  grateful  1     Do  you  try  to  be  so  ? 
Do  you  earnestly  desire  to  increase  in  gratitude  1     Do  you 
strive  against  all  murmuring  and  ungrateful  thoughts  ?     Do 
you  pray  to  be  enabled  to  take  trials  unrepiningly  ;  to  bear 
disappointments  patiently,  rebuffs  meekly,  and  discomforts 


318      CALL  TO  UNIVEESAL  GRATITUDE — 

not  moodily  but  cheerily  ;  believing  that  a  kind  and  tender 
Lord  is  moulding  you  by  these  tender  touches,  that  sharper 
may  not  be  required  ?  Again,  then,  we  ask,  Are  you  in 
earnest  ?  Is  your  whole  soul  engaged  in  thanking  God  ?  Is 
your  life  a  reality  of  praise  1  Does  it  "  bless"  God  ?  Does 
it  "  bless"  your  fellow  men  ?  Is  it  a  "  blessing"  to  yourself? 
Is  it  preparing  you  by  thanksgivings  on  earth,  for  the  ever- 
lasting thanksgivings  in  heaven  !  God  wishes  you  to  be 
happy  in  praising  Him,  and  do  you  take  pleasure  in  the  dis- 
charge of  this  joyful  duty  '?  Is  it  the  first  thing  you  say  to 
yourself^is  it  the  last,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul "  ?  Do 
you  often  stop  yourself  on  the  pathway  of  forgetfulness,  and 
say,  "  Forget  not  :"  Oh,  my  soul,  thou  hast  forgotten  many, 
but  I  charge  thee  "forget  not  all  God's  benefits  !"  Forget 
NOT  thy  Benefactor  ;  forget  not  His  benefits.  Forget  not 
thy  sins ;  forget  not  the  blood  that  obtains  their  pardon. 
Forget  not  thy  duty  to  praise ;  forget  not  thy  privilege 
to  bless  ;  and  forget  not  that  Spirit  who  alone  enables  thee 
to  be  thankful.  Say  "  Sooner  will  my  right  hand  forget  her 
cunning,  and  my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of  my  mouth," 
than  I  will  forget  Thee,  O  my  Saviour,  and  Thy  redeeming 
love.  I  will  prefer  Thy  glory  before  my  chiefest  earthly 
joy  :  "  Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  Thee,  and  there  is  none 
upon  earth  that  I  desire  beside  Thee."  "  O  Lord  my  God,  I 
will  give  thanks  unto  Thee  for  ever." 

Eeader !  stir  up  your  soul  after  the  example  of  the  Psalm- 
ist. Try  to  remember  one  mercy  more,  then  another,  then 
still  another.  One  mercy  at  a  time  mark  down,  then  add  a 
special  thanksgiving ;  next  note  another  benefit,  and  then  add 


TEE    psalmist's   OWN   SOUL.  ol9 

another  offering  of  praise.     God  is  continually  giving  gifts  : 
be  you  continually  giving  thanks.     Not  by  words  without 
feeling  ;  not  by  feelings  without  deeds  ;  but  by  each  and  all 
of  these,  out  of  a  sincere  and  fervent  heart.     Get  into   the 
habit  of  praise.      Recapitulate  blessings.      Look  back  on 
former  deliverances.     Try  to   remember,  and  not   to  lose 
sight  of  God's  great  benefits.     Keep  an  enumeration  of  theni 
beside  you.     Let  new  mercies  recall  old  benefits.     Let  even 
the  dark  cloud  of  your  sorrow  for  sin,  reflect  a  bright  rain- 
bow of  God's  mercy.     Look  always  at  your  transgressions 
through  the  wounds  of  Jesus,  then  your  sorrow  will  become 
"  godly,"  and  every  bitter  confession  will  be  sweetened  with 
this  thanksgiving  that  such  a  sinner  should  have  such  a  Sa- 
viour.    '•  By  Jesus  offer  the  sacrifice  of  praise  to  God  con- 
tinually, that  is  the  fruit  of  your  lips,  giving  thanks  to  His 
name."     Say,  like  Chrysostom  of  old,  though  suffering  by 
disease  and  persecution,  "  Glory  be  to  God  for  everything 
that  happens."     Be  satisfied  with  God  thy  Saviour,  and  sit 
loose  to  all  creature  comforts.     "  A  believer  can  lose  no- 
thing of  importance,  unless  he  can  lose  God  :  but  God  is  hi;> 
'  portion  for  ever,'  Psa.  Ixxiii.  26,  and  therefore  his  com- 
plaints are  childish."     The  Scripture  bids  thee  "  rejoice  in 
the  Lord  alway."     It  has  nowhere  bid  thee  to  mourn  always. 
You  would  not  ask  the  Great  High  Priest  to  present  youi- 
murmuriugs  to  the  Lord,  why,  then,  do  you  present  them 
yourself?     Trials  are  sent  to  do  you  good,  not  to  do  you 
harm.     Why,  then,  should  losses  and  bereavements  make 
you  fretful,  and  fill  you  with  repinings  1     "  Shall  present 
evils  make  us  either  insensible  of,  or  unthankful  for,  past 


320  CALL  TO   UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE— 

mercies'?  Shall  present  troubles  be  a  grave  wherein  to 
bury  the  memory  of  all  our  former  comforts'?" — Caryl. 
You  trust  that  you  are  planted  in  the  garden  of  the  Lord  ; 
seek,  therefore,  to  be  one  of  His  incense-breathing  flowers 
— a  lily  of  the  valley — humble,  pure,  and  fragrant.  Be- 
ware of  that  morbid  melancholy  which,  like  a  biting  frost, 
nips  gratitude  in  the  bud.  "All  unbelief  and  dejection 
should  be  ashamed  of  itself,  and  be  put  to  shame,  which 
does  not  give  God  the  glory  of  interesting  Himself  in  His 
creatures^  and  of  feeling  for  their  misery." — Hengstenberg. 
It  is  not  of  your  own  spirit  that  you  can  be  thankful,  or 
bear  up  with  a  patient  mind  under  all  the  trials  and  disap- 
pointments of  this  mortal  life.  It  is  alone  the  Spirit  who 
wrote  this  Psalm,  who  can  enable  you  to  sing  it.  Jesus 
gives  that  Spirit  freely,  and  the  Apostle  exhorts  you,  "  Be 
filled  with  the  Spirit ;  speaking  to  yourselves  in  psalms  and 
hymns  and  spiritual  songs,  singing  and  making  melody  in 
your  heart  to  the  Lord  :  Giving  thanks  always  for  all  things 
unto  God  and  the  Father,  in  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,"  Eph.  v.  19.  Pray,  therefore,  earnestly  to  be  "  fill- 
ed with  the  Spirit."  His  presence  will  give  you  society  in 
loneliness,  light  in  darkness,  and  joy  even  in  a  dungeon. 
"  At  midnight,  in  the  inner  prison,"  though  their  backs  were 
bleeding  with  many  stripes,  and  their  feet  made  fast  in  the 
stocks,  yet  "  Paul  and  Silas  prayed  and  sang  praises  unto 
God,"  Acts  xvi.  23—25.  Pray  for  the  spirit  of  praise. 
God  heard  Paul  and  Silas,  and  He  will  hear  you.  In  an- 
swer to  prayer,  the  Comforter  will  be  sent  to  gladden  your 
dreariest  hour.     The  presence  of  the  Spirit  will  awaken  every 


THE  psalmist's  OWN   SOUL.  321 

faculty  and  lighten  every  thought;  revive  every  feeling  and 
warm  every  affection  ;  sanctify  every  imagination,  brighten 
every  hope,  and  guild  every  word  with  gratitude.  Youi 
whole  life,  under  that  Spirit,  will  become  praise,  and  ever)? 
act  an  offering  of  incense.  Earnestly,  therefore,  make  this 
your  prayer, — Oh  God  the  Father,  God  the  Son,  and  God 
the  Holy  Ghost,  three  Persons  and  one  God,  forget  me  not, 
and  never  suffer  me  to  forget  Thee.  Be  always  present 
with  my  soul,  that  my  soul  may  be  always  present  with 
Thee : 

**  Thy  presence  has  a  wondrous  power : 
The  sharpest  thorn  becomes  a  flower, 

And  breathes  a  sweet  perfume. 
"Whate'er  look'd  dark  and  sad  before, 
Now  bright  with  light  shines  silver'd  o'er, 
And  life  has  lost  its  gloom  !" 

Pray  for  the  spirit  of  praise.  Earnestly  desire  that  your 
soul  may  be  as  a  well-tuned  instrument  in  the  hand  of  the 
Divine  Spirit.  Let  every  faculty,  yea,  "  all  that  is  within 
you,"  be  ready  harmonized  to  sing  God's  praise.  Let  con- 
science "  bless  the  Lord,"  by  unvarying  fidelity.  Let  judg- 
ment bless  Him,  by  decisions  accordant  with  His  word.  Let 
imagination  bless  Him,  by  pure  and  holy  musings.  Let 
the  affections  praise  Him,  by  loving  whatsoever  He  loves. 
Let  desire  bless  Him,  by  seeking  only  His  glory.  Let  mem- 
ory bless  Him,  by  not  forgetting  any  of  His  benefits.  Let 
thought  bless  Him,  by  meditating  on  His  excellencies.  Let 
hope  praise  Him,  by  longing  and  "  looking  for  the  glory  that 
is  to  be  revealed."  Let  every  sense  bless  Him  by  its  fealty, 
14* 


322  CALL   TO   UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — 

every  word  by  its  truth,  and  every  act  by  its  integrity. 
Bless  God  by  trusting  Him  at  all  times ;  cleaving  to  Him 
under  chastisements,  and  resigning  yourself  to  Him  under 
bereavements.  Bless  God  by  patience  under  adversity,  and 
by  humbleness  inider  prosperity.  Bless  your  Saviour  in 
heaven  by  imitating  His  example  on  earth — in  meekness 
and  gentleness,  in  charity  and  long-suffering,  and  in  the  God- 
like act  of  returning  good  for  evil.  Bless  God  by  diligence 
in  your  calling,  by  prudence  and  integrity  in  all  your  deal- 
ings, and  by  owing  no  man  anything  but  love.  Bless  God 
by  not  forgetting  earthly  benefactors,  and  by  an  ever-living 
remembrance  of  your  Great  Benefactor  in  heaven.  Say 
again  and  again  to  yourself,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul ; 
and  all  that  is  within  me  bless  His  holy  name."  Be  con- 
tinually blessing  God.  The  Scripture,  four  times  in  one 
verse,  thus  enjoins  thee,  "  Sing  praises  to  God,  sing  praises. 
Sing  praises  unto  our  King,  sing  praises."  Psa.  xlvii.  6. 
Say  from  the  very  heart  with  the  Psalmist,  "  I  will  bless 
the  Lord  at  all  times,  His  praise  shall  continually  be  in  my 
mouth."  Psa.  xxxiv.  1.  "While  I  live,  I  will  praise  the 
Lord.  I  wall  sing  praises  unto  my  God  while  I  have  my  be- 
ing." Psa.  cxlvi.  2.  "  I  will  extol  Thee  my  God,  O  King  ; 
and  I  will  bless  Thy  name  for  ever  and  ever.  Every  day 
will  I  bless  Thee,  and  I  will  praise  Thy  name  for  ever  and 
ever."  Psa.  cxlv.  1,2.  "I  will  sing  unto  the  Lord  as  long 
as  I  live.  I  will  sing  praise  to  my  God  while  I  have  my  be- 
ing. My  meditation  of  Him  shall  be  sweet.  I  w^ill  be  glad 
in  the  Lord."  Psa.  civ.  33.  "  My  soul  shall  be  satisfied 
as  with  marrow  and  fatness :  and   my  mouth   shall   praise 


Thee  with  joyful  lips,  when  I  remember  Thee  upon  my  bed, 
and  meditate  on  Thee  in  the  night  watches."  Psa.  Ixiii.  5. 
That  your  days  and  nights  may  be  thus  blessed,  dear 
Reader,  your  soul  satisfied,  and  your  lips  made  joyful,  med- 
itate much  on  the  excellencies  of  your  God  in  His  own  na- 
ture, and  on  the  blessed  relationships  in  which  He  has  re- 
vealed Himself,  Father,  Saviour,  Comforter,  and  on  the 
boundless  benefits  wliich  in  all  these  He  has  bestowed. 
Think  of  spiritual  blessings — personal,  domestic,  and  so- 
cial, and  say,  "  Blessed  be  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  who  hath  blessed  us  with  all  spiritual  blessings 
in  heavenly  places  in  Christ."  Eph.  i.  3.  Think  of  tempo- 
ral BLESSINGS — mental,  and  corporeal — circumstantial,  na- 
tional, and  universal.  Think  of  providential  blessings, 
private  and  public — of  providential  deliverances  known  and 
unknown — of  enlarging  providences  to  the  good,  and  of  re- 
straining providences  upon  the  wicked.  Think  of  these  in- 
numerable temporal  and  providential  benefits,  and  say, 
"  Many,  O  Lord  my  God,  are  Thy  wonderful  works  which 
Thou  hast  done,  and  Thy  thoughts  which  are  to  usward ; 
they  cannot  be  reckoned  up  in  order  unto  Thee  :  if  I  would 
declare  or  speak  of  them,  they  are  more  than  can  be  num- 
bered." Psa.  xl.  5.  Impress  upon  your  mind  that  you  have 
not  deserved  the  very  least  of  any  of  these  mercies,  and 
then  think  of  the  Lord,  in  the  richness  of  His  goodness,  add- 
ing EVERLASTING  BLESSINGS :  frccly  giving,  in  Christ  Jesus, 
everlasting  pardon,  eternal  life,  never-ending  salvation,  an 
immortal  soul,  a  spiritual  body,  purity  and  perfection  for 
ever,  a  kingdom  without  end,  and  joys  that  never  fade. 


324  CALL  TO   UNIVERSAL   GRATITUDE — 

rhink  of  the  praises  of  the  Universal  Benefactor  sung  by 
the  universal  choir  of  all  His  angels,  and  all  His  hosts,  and 
all  His  works,  in  all  places  of  His  dominion ;  think  of 
yourself,  by  grace,  uniting  with  them  hereafter  in  their 
everlasting  song ;  and  surely,  after  such  a  survey  of  benefits, 
and  in  harmony  with  such  a  company  of  worshippers,  you 
will  delight  with  the  Psalmist  to  present  yourself  before  the 
throne  of  grace,  and  say,  as  long  as  life  and  breath  shall 
last,  "  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul ;  and  all  that  is  within  me 
bless  His  holy  name.  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  forget 
not  all  His  benefits.  Bless  the  Lord  for  special  kindnesses. 
Magnify  Him  for  manifold  mercies.  Praise  Him  for  im- 
measurable blessings.  Glorify  Him  for  everlasting  ben- 
efits.* Bless  the  Lord,  ye  His  angels.  Bless  the  Lord  all 
ye  His  hosts.  Bless  the  Lord  all  His  works,  in  all  places 
of  His  dominion.     Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul." 


THE   END. 


-—^^^-^^^-^i^ 


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printed  at  length.  1  vol.  8vo.  Half  calf,  ^4  50  ;  Turkey  morocco, 
^6  ;  morocco  gilt,  $6  50. 

While  tbo  importance  of  parallel  and  illustrative  passages,  in  elucidating  the  mean- 
ing of  Scripture,  is  generally  admitted,  it  cannot  be  denied  that  their  utility  is  very 
much  impaired  by  the  time  and  labor  required  in  turning  to  the  numerous  passages. 
With  a  view  to  remedy  this  defect,  the  present  edition  has  been  pl^pared.  Its 
peculiar  object  is  to  set  before  the  reader,  at  a  glance,  the  very  words  of  those 
passages  wiiich  are  best  fitted  to  illustrate  the  text,  or  to  throw  satisfactory  light 
on  its  meaning. 


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The  Law  and  the  Testimony ; 

By  tlie  Author  of  the  "  Wide,  Wide  World,"  &e.     8vo,  second  thou- 
sand.    Cloth,  $3  ;  half  calf,  §4. 

"This  is  a  great  book,  and  manifestly  the  result  of  labor,  patient  and  long  contin- 
ued. It  is  a  complete  collection,  or  at  least  a  very  extensive  one,  of  all  ihe  pas- 
sages in  the  Bil)le  having  a  bearing  upon  particular  specified  subjects  or  points 
of  doctrine,  such  as  the  Divine  Nature,  Divinity  of  the  Saviour,  Cod's  Omnis- 
cience, Sovereignty  and  Justice,  Christ's  Office,  Office  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  Man'3 
Freedom  and  Fall,  Nature  and  Consequences  of  Sin,  Nature  of  Faith,  Rcp<mfance, 

Salvation,  Judgment,  Heaven  and  Hell,  &c A  remarkable  book,  one  that 

will  take  the  shelf  by  the  side  of  the  most  elaborate  tomes  and  learned  works  of 
distinguished  divines.  The  author  has  already  acquired  a  wide  reputation  by 
two  works  of  lighter  literature,  •  Queechy'  and  the  '  Wide,  Wide  World  ;'  but  the 
'Law  and  the  Testimony,'  we  imagine,  will  be  her  most  enduring  work."— C/.  *\ 
Jturnal. 

"  We  welcome  it  as  a  fresh  and  worthy  aid  to  the  examination  of  the  piu-e  word 
of  God."—  Ifatckman. 

"  A  delightful  handmaid  to  the  perusal  and  right  understanding  of  the  meaning, 
force,  fulness,  and  harmony  of  the  sacred  iQxi.''''— Spectator. 

"  A  most  valuable  aid  to  all  those  wlio  revere  and  siudy  the  Scriptures,  as  the  only 
rule  of  faith  and  practice."  — P&7J.  of  West. 

"  We  commend  this  volume  with  all  our  heart.  The  Sabbath  School  Teacher  needs 
it.  Parents  may  well  lay  it  on  the  table  of  the  new  married  daughter.  And  aged 
Christians,  as  they  follow  on  through  these  clear  and  well  printed  pages,  will  re- 
joice to  find  the  foundation  of  their  hope  standing  so  strong."— 7'.  L.  C. 

"  We  can  commend  it  as  a  volume  of  great  convenience  in  the  study  of  the  Sacred 
volume,  and  especially  to  the  Ministers  of  the  Gospel  in  their  preparations  for 
the  pulpit."— P6)i.  Herald. 

Now  completed,  by  the  publication  of  the  eighth  and  last  volume, 

Daily  Bible  Illustrations : 

Beino-  Original  Readi.vgs  for  a  Year  on  Subjects  fi-om  Sacred  His- 
tory, Biography,  Geography,  Antiquities,  and  Theology,  Especially 
designed  for  the  Family  Circle.     By  John  Kitto,  D.D. 

MurniviT  Series  :—\ol.  I.    Thk  Antediluvians  and  Patriarchs,  Fourth  Edi- 

^  tion  ;  Vol.  II.  Moses  and  the  Judges,  Second  Edition  ;  Vol.  III.  Samuel,  Saul, 
and  David,  Second  Edition  ;  Vol.  IV.  Solomon  and  the  Kings,  Second  Edition. 

Evening  Serirs  .—Vo\.  I.  Job  and  the  Poeti'cal  Books;  Vol.  II.  Isaiah  and 
the  Prophets  ;  Vol.  III.  Life  and  Death  of  our  Lord  ;  Vol.  IV.  The  Apos- 
tles AND  Early  Church. 

Each  Volume  is  sold  separately,  price  SI  each. 

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learning,  real  information,  and  close  argument,  conveyed  in  a  solid  style."— 
Spectator. 

"The  series  is  admirable."— i^Toano-e/eca/  Christendom. 

"For  family  reading,  these  Illustrations  are  inestimable."— fiaptist  Magazine. 

"We  should  wish  to  see  this  most  useful  work  in  every  house."— CAurcA  of 
England  Jiagazine. 

C 

-bj^,...^^ — . ^v^-?^^^ 


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Scotia's  Bards. 

Comprising  the  choicest  productions  of  Scottish  Poets,  Illustrated 
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the  art,  with  Frontispiece  and  Vignette  by  Ritchi<\  8vo.  Cloth, 
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"Scotland,  rich  ii)  the  treasures  of  Theologj',  History,  and  Philosophy,  here  stands 
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acknowledge  as  its  own." — Watchman  and  Rrjlector. 

"  An  elegant  volume,  in  the  very  best  style  of  execution." — Chi-g.  Intelligencer. 

"It  is  enriched  with  the  most  brilliant  and  costly  poetic  aems,  from  the  mines  of 
that  land,  which  has  been  as  fruitful  in  minstrels  as  in  metaphysicians,  heroes, 
and  martyrs." — Presbyterian. 

"This  fine  large  octavo  volume,  printed  in  beantiful  style,  and  enriched  with  many 
choice  engravings,  containing,  we  believe,  the  first  extended  collection  of  the  best 
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acceptable  to  all  who  can  appreciate  the  finest  creations  of  genius." — jSr«rus, 

"  We  predict  that  as  '  Scotia's  Bards'  is  one  of  the  mo--t  superb  books  of  the  sea- 
son, so  it  will  be  one  of  the  most  popular  also." — T.  C  L. 

"A  most  excellent  taste  and  judgment  are  displayed  in  the  selection  of  this  vol- 
ume, and  ihe  biographical  and  critical  notices  prefixed  to  the  poems,  are  happily 
written,  in  a  chaste  and  simple  style  ;  the  illustrations  of  the  work  will  combine 
with  its  intrinsic  value,  to  render  it  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  the  season."— 
Independent. 

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These  prayers  are  conceived  in  a  truly  evangelical  spirit,  and  are  remarkable  for 
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ing prayers  for  four  weeks,  there  are  a  number  of  prayers  designed  for,  and  well 
adapted  to  as  many  difierent  occasions.  Those  who  are  accustomed  to  use  forms 
of  any  kind,  will  find  this  an  excellent  auxiliary  to  their  family  devotions. 

Memoir  of  Richard  Williams. 

Surgeon.  Catechist  to  the  Patagonian  Mission.  By  James  Hamilton, 
D.D.     16mo.     75  cents. 

"  In  all  the  history  of  Gospel  IMissions  there  is  nothing  that  possesses  such  a  fear- 
ful interest  as  that  of  the  English  Missionaries  to  Patagonia,  the  terrible  sufferings 
and  starvation  of  a  portion  of  whom  created  such  a  shock  a  year  or  two  ago. 
The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  the  surgeon  and  catechist  of  that  devoted  band, 
and  it  is  chiefiy  made  up  of  his  journal,  which  was  continued  by  his  own  hand 
so  long  as  he  was  able  to  put  pen  to  paper.  The  annals  of  martyrdom  contain 
few  stories  v  f  a  Christian  heroism  more  noble  than  his  and  thatof  his  associates." 
— Bulletin. 

Christian  Progress. 

**  A  sequel  to  the  "  Anxious  Enquirer."'    By  the  Rev.  John  Angel  Janies. 
ISnio.     30  vients. 


^I^^<s?^— 


BS1450.103 .58  ,  .    u     ^    ^ 

Gratitude  :  an  exposition  of  the  hundred 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  00068  8269 


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